


Love At First Swipe

by writingsrus



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25562461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingsrus/pseuds/writingsrus
Summary: Law & Order: SVU Season 10 AU. After a suggestion from Elliot to download Tinder, Olivia complies and ends up meeting Rafael Barba after an awkward interaction. Can an awkward interaction turn into true love?
Relationships: Olivia Benson & Donald Cragen, Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler, Olivia Benson & Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, Rafael Barba & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 70
Kudos: 104





	1. Swipe Left

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I've been writing on Wattpad for a while and finally decided to cross post some of my works here as well. I have eight chapters of this already completed that I will be posting!

The coffee shop by the precinct had become a daily morning routine for Olivia. Her job was hard and she sometimes needed a little push to get her day started off right. The line today though was longer than usual when she entered the shop on the corner of the street. She got in the back of the line and pulled out her phone while she waited. 

After some contemplation, she opened Tinder, that Elliot had convinced her to download the week before. She started swiping on a few people as people got in line behind her. She came across a few attractive guys, but their descriptions were boring so she swiped left. She came across one man, his name was Rafael, he was attractive, but his description said he was a lawyer. She had sworn she would never date a lawyer, so she swiped left. 

"Ouch, hard no for that one?" She heard a voice ask from behind her, and Liv turned around to see the man she had just swiped left on. What was his name? She tried to think of something to say, she didn't know whether she owed him an explanation or an apology, but this was certainty awkward. 

"So you're snooping?" She asked and he put his hands up in defense. 

"Simply saw over your shoulder. It's a shame though, I would've loved to take someone as beautiful as you out on a date." He said and she scanned his face, begging her brain to remember what this man's name was. And then it came to her.

"Well Rafael, I must say, your picture really doesn't do you justice." Olivia quipped and the man smirked as he rocked on his feet. She threw a smile over her shoulder as she stepped up to order her coffee. Just as she was pulling out her card to pay, her Tinder man stepped forward and handed the barista his card. He ordered his coffee and had it added to the bill, before turning to go sit at a table in the corner, waiting for Olivia to join him. 

Olivia hesitantly made her way over to him. Something about this man was interesting. His hair was gelled nicely to one side, and his three piece suit looked exceptionally nice. She sat down across from him and cleared her throat. 

"Thanks for buying my coffee. I'm Olivia, by the way." She said, reaching across the table to shake his hand. His hand was soft and warm and felt nice holding lightly onto hers. She drew back her hand when they made eye contact, and she felt something. Like maybe this man she just happened to cross paths with, was more than one of those no good men she had heard about on Tinder. 

"So, Olivia, I must ask. What is a beautiful woman like you doing on a dating app?" He asked, after their coffee was delivered. He was such a flirt.

"Well, I'm a detective with the NYPD. The job takes a lot of time, I don't really have time for relationships." She shrugged, and he nodded, leaning forward on his elbows. 

Rafael cracked a smile at her and reached across the table to grab her hand. "Well, we're both busy people. But, how about we both delete Tinder and whenever we're free, I'm taking you out to dinner. Take it slow, see where it leads us." He suggested, stroking her knuckles as he watched her curiously. 

"I think I'd like that." She said and they both pulled out their phones, exchanged numbers, then deleted Tinder. He smiled as he slipped his phone back in his pocket and she returned the smile, admiring his green eyes. "Well Rafael, I should go. But this was amazing. I will definitely call." Olivia assured him as she stood, he stood as well and reached a hand out to grip her wrist. 

"Ok, Olivia, it was so nice meeting you." Their eyes connected for a moment and he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek, pulled back just enough to look in her eyes for consent, and then leaned in again to kiss her lips tenderly. Olivia couldn't help the blush the crept up her cheeks, as she turned to leave the coffee shop, turning around once to wave at Rafael. 

A week later, SVU had just wrapped up a case, Olivia was packing up her bag and getting ready to leave for her first date with Rafael. They had been communicating non stop, but she was so excited to finally go on a real date with him. Elliot was sitting at his desk, looking through some files when she walked over to say her goodbyes for the night. 

"Alright, El. I'm heading out. See you tomorrow." She said, tapping the corner of his desk walking toward the elevator, but his voice stopped her. 

"Hey, I forgot to ask, how's Tinder going?"

"Deleted it." She shrugged and he looked shocked. 

"Oh come on, Liv! You gotta at least try!" Elliot replied, standing up and walking over to her. She smiled at the look on his face. 

"I found someone. I actually need to leave now because I have a date with him tonight." She explained and he clapped his hands and she laughed and waved as she left, feeling so thrilled to see Rafael, and begin exploring this new found relationship.

TBC...


	2. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Spanish is completely from Google translate, so if something is incorrect, please feel free to correct me in the comments!

Olivia pulled her coat tighter over her body, as she made her way into the restaurant that Rafael had made a reservation at. She pulled the door open to reveal a gorgeous lobby that led into the dining area. It was very romantic, she could tell. Everyone there seemed to be on a date. 

"Hi, I'm meeting somebody here, I think he's already here actually." Olivia said and the waitress nodded. 

"Name for the reservation?" The young lady asked and Olivia paused. She realized that she didn't actually know his last name. It had never occurred to her to ask, but now she needed to know. As if on cue, Rafael rounded the corner into the lobby and smiled at her. 

"Barba. She's with me." Rafael answered, leading Olivia to their table. He took her jacket and placed it on the back of her chair before pulling her chair out for her. Olivia smiled and thanked him as they both sat down. 

"Barba." Olivia tried out his last name. "That's Spanish decent, right."

"Yea, Cuban. Do you speak Spanish?" Rafael asked as they both picked up their menus to begin deciding what they wanted. The conversation was light but comfortable. Olivia thought it was a perfect way to start out this date. 

"I do. I decided to learn it while I was in the academy, figured it would do me some good to know another language." Olivia explained and Rafael smiled, which made his green eyes sparkle and Olivia could feel the butterflies in her stomach again. 

"Bueno te ves increíblemente hermosa." Rafael said and Olivia blushed, she was about to respond when the waiter came by to take their drink orders. Rafael winked at her and turned to the young man. "I'll have a scotch on the rocks and the finest red wine you have for the lady." He said and the man nodded and left. Olivia looked shocked that he had actually gotten her drink order right. 

"How'd you know?!" She asked and he laughed, reaching across the table to take her hand. He didn't even really know her that well. But he loved her presence. He loved the way her hand fit into his. 

Rafael shrugged, then brought her hand to his lips. "Lucky guess." Their drinks were delivered and he took a sip of his scotch. "So, Olivia, we really don't know each other that well. I know you're a detective, but what unit?"

"16th precinct. Special Victims Unit. What about you? You're a lawyer, right?" She asked and he nodded. 

"Yea, I'm the ADA for Brooklyn SVU." Olivia gasped and somehow, knowing that they both worked for the same district made her feel a little better about wanting a relationship with a lawyer. She'd just have to convince her squad of that too. She loved them, but being the only female detective, they were all very protective of her. 

Olivia hadn't explored many long term relationships since joining SVU. She had kind of given up on dating for the time being, but now she wanted a chance with this man. He was everything she wanted. 

They ordered their food and breezed through conversations as they waited. They asked each other questions and they got to know each other. Some questions were deeper than others, but Olivia found herself comfortable telling him about her complicated family, to which he opened up about his abusive father. 

Olivia had never opened up about her family life so easily, and she found herself hoping she wouldn't regret doing it later down the road. They ate in comfortable silence, sometimes exchanging smiles from across the table. When they were finished, Rafael paid the tab, and they left the restaurant hand in hand. 

"This is me." Olivia said as they stopped in front of her apartment building. Rafael turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his. She smiled up at him. They didn't have much of a height difference, but he did have an inch on her. "Look, Rafael, tonight was amazing. I'd love to do this again sometime." She said and he smirked.

"So you're agreeing to a second date?" 

"If you ask."

"I'll do better than that." Rafael told her and she was confused until be spoke again. "Olivia, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, rocking on his heel. He didn't give off the image like he was nervous, but on the inside Rafael was terrified of being rejected. His fears faded when Olivia smiled and nodded, leaning up to press her lips to his. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist. 

Olivia pulled back, resting her forehead against his, just admiring her boyfriend. That was weird to think. She hadn't been a girlfriend in a while. "I should get upstairs." She announced, half wishing she didn't have to call it a night. Rafael leaned down and kissed her again, his hands resting on her hips. When she went to pull away, he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and she pushed him away, laughing. "Go!" She said, hands resting on his chest as they both laughed. 

"Ok, ok. Goodnight, Livia." Rafael said, reaching out to grab her hand. He turned to walk away, and she smiled to herself at the nickname he had given her. Everyone called her Liv, it was nice for someone to give her something else, especially when it came from her new boyfriend. She smiled as she continued to watch him walk away, before turning to head into her apartment building. 

The next morning, Olivia woke up to a good morning text from Rafael and she couldn't stop smiling as she stepped off the elevator of the precinct. Elliot was seated at his desk and Fin was sitting on the edge of his desk. They both noticed her smile and Elliot elbowed Fin. 

"So, Liv, how was your date?" Elliot asked, a smile pulling at his lips. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

"That's none of your business. But if you must know, it was amazing, and I may or may not have a boyfriend." She said, sitting at her desk. Fin came over to her and tapped her shoulder. 

"What's his name?" He asked and she already knew where this was going. They were going to run a background check on him. 

"No, I will have no part in invading his privacy like that."

"It's for your own good, Liv." Elliot started and she shook her head. "Here, if we don't find anything alarming, we won't tell you anything." He offered and she sighed. 

"Fine, his name's Rafael Barba." She said, hoping she wouldn't regret this. Elliot typed his name into the NYPD server and spent a few minutes hunched over his computer, trying to find something. 

"He's a lawyer?!" Elliot accused, looking shocked as he turned to his partner. She put her head in her hands, starting to regret ever say anything. She knew they meant well though, and she honestly did appreciate it.

"Ah, come on, Liv! You're screwing a lawyer?" Fin said, throwing his hands up in the air, going over to sit in his chair. She hadn't actually screwed the lawyer yet, she assumed she would at some point, but that was none of their business and she sure as hell wouldn't be discussing her sex life with them. 

Her friends finally left her alone, and she pulled out her phone, sending a text to Rafael letting him know what happened. She smiled as they sent a few texts back and forth, and she didn't care who saw. She was happy.

TBC...


	3. New Faces

"I'm going into the precinct now, so I'll have to get off here. But you should come over to my place tonight. I'll send you the address." Olivia said into the phone, pressing the button on the elevator. "Bye, Raf." She said as the elevator doors opened and she hung up the phone, taking a sip of her coffee before entering the squad room. 

"Yea, it's the ADA from Brooklyn SVU. Guy's like Mexican or something." Fin was telling Munch as she came in, she shook her head and sat at her desk, hanging her coat on the back of her chair. Fin stopped as soon as he saw her. 

"Really guys, is this all you talk about now? I have a new man in my life, get over it." She said and Elliot came over and sat on her desk, facing her. 

"Not until we get to meet this mystery man. Bring him to Forlini's after work tonight." Elliot suggested and she hesitated. She really wanted to have time to just her and Rafael. They hadn't gotten to spend much time together since their first date because of how demanding their jobs were. They had gotten coffee in the morning a few times, and of course they'd talked on the phone, but she wanted to be able to spend quality time with him, without her squad up her ass.

She held Elliot's stare and then sighed, "Maybe, I'll see what he wants to do. But if he does come, you're not interrogating him all night." Olivia said, throwing glances at Munch and Fin, as well as Elliot, even though she knew that one was a long shot. 

The squad got to work on a case after instruction from Cragen to stop goofing around. They were wrapped up for the night by 7:00, and Olivia packed up her stuff then left, telling the boys that she'd see them later at the bar. 

Olivia got home and quickly changed into jeans and a tight fitting shirt, and she poured herself a glass of wine as she waited for Rafael. They had only been together for a few weeks and yet she already felt so secure in this relationship. Maybe because they were taking it slow. This would be the first time he'd been inside her apartment. 

The knock on the door, pulled her out of her thoughts, and she jumped up to let Rafael in. She opened the door and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and walked them inside, shutting the door with his foot. She pulled back and smiled up at him. "How was work?" He asked.

"It was alright. Listen, my squad is going out to a bar down the street tonight, they want me to bring you. If you'd rather not we can just stay here." She said and he nodded, grabbing her coat off the nearby hanger and handed it to her. 

"Let's go then." He said and she put her coat on as he opened the door and wrapped an arm around her waist. They walked down the streets of New York, she was tucked into his side comfortably as they entered Forlini's. Elliot, Fin, and Munch were all seated at the bar and Fin clapped his hands as they came in. Olivia released herself from Rafael's grip, and shook her head as they made their way over to her squad. 

"Rafael Barba, it's a pleasure to meet you guys." Rafael introduced himself and Fin stepped forward and held out his hand for him to shake.

"Fin Tutuola."

Elliot and Munch stepped forward and each introduced themselves. Olivia was thanking whatever God that nobody had tried to interrogate Rafael yet. But she figured that was coming soon. She had almost been tempted not to tell Elliot because he was probably the reason she was still single. In a way, he was very controlling of her. 

They all sat down and Elliot tapped the bar to get the bartender's attention. "I'm buying drinks." He said and Olivia smiled, patting his back. 

"Thanks, El." She said, turning to the bartender and ordering a scotch for Rafael and a red wine for herself. Once their drinks were delivered, she turned to her boyfriend and held up her glass to clink it with his. He smiled at her, and she tapped his hand before pulling it away when she saw Elliot look at them. 

Elliot cleared his throat, then stood up and clapped Rafael on the back. "Let me have a word with you, Rafael." He said and Rafael looked at Olivia, before hesitantly standing up.

"Elliot, really?" Olivia started, sensing how uncomfortable Rafael was. 

"Calm down, Liv. I'm not gonna hurt your precious lawyer." Elliot said, harsher than Olivia expected. She picked up her glass and took a sip as Rafael grabbed his scotch and followed Elliot to a booth on the opposite side of the bar. 

Both men sat down and Elliot placed his hands on the table. "Look, man, I don't know who you are, and I don't need to know right now. All I need to know is that you have her back." He said and Rafael nodded. He hadn't even known Olivia for long, and yet he felt like they were going to be good for each other. "But I swear on my life, if you hurt her, I will hurt you ten times worse, and you will not be happy. She's been my partner for a decade now. She's my best friend, Fin and John will tell you the same. We love her and we just want her to be happy." 

"I understand, detective. And while I can't see into the future, I'm going to do everything in my power to keep her happy." Rafael gave him his word, and Elliot reached across the table to shake his hand. 

Elliot stood up, "Glad we're on the same page." He said, picking up his beer and walking back to the bar where Olivia was waiting expectantly. Rafael gave her a look of assurance as he sat back down beside her, placing a hand on her thigh.

Eventually, Elliot announced that he needed to get home to his wife and kids, so he paid for everyone's drinks and then bid them goodbye. Olivia and Rafael were the next to leave. They made their way to Olivia's apartment building and when they got there, she looked over at him. "Come up?" She asked and he nodded, following her into the building. 

In her apartment, they removed their coats and sat on her couch. Rafael wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she sighed into his embrace. "Elliot didn't try to kill you?" She asked, leaning up to look at him. 

"He threatened to, sure it won't be the last time either. But, I'm fine. I'm here with you, so I'd say my night is going pretty well." He said, pulling her closer, but he was surprised when she pulled away. She brought her legs up under on the couch and she turned to face him. She wanted to have this conversation, she needed to make sure they were on the same page. 

"What do you want from this?" She asked and he looked confused, so she explained herself further. "Like, what do you want from this, us, do you want a serious relationship? Or are you just looking for a one night stand?" She asked, she needed to know. He had been making hints all night, and she wouldn't lie, she definitely wanted him. But she wanted to make sure she wasn't misreading anything. 

"Livia, I want it all. I know, we're still getting used to this, we're still getting to know each other, but I want a relationship with you. You're going to be way more than a one night stand. " He assured her and she smiled and blushed. "Can I kiss you now?" He asked, and the way he asked for consent warmed her heart. She nodded and he leaned in, pressing his lips into hers, wrapping his arms around her to deepen the kiss. 

Olivia laid back on the couch as his mouth started trailing kisses down her neck, stopping just above her collar bone. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled gently. "Bedroom." She said and he lifted her up, her legs going around his waist as he carried her to bedroom where they disappeared for the night. 

TBC...


	4. Relax

A month later, the couple sat at a table in the corner of their coffee shop. "I think we should disclose." Olivia said, and Rafael looked at her confused as he took a sip of his coffee. He raised an eyebrow and she laughed. "Don't give me that look, Barba!" 

"I'm not sure what you mean." He said, mocking ignorance as a smirk pulled the corner of his mouth. "In all seriousness though, why do we need to disclose? We don't even work together." 

"But you're still an ADA and I'm still a detective. If we ever have to work a case together, this relationship could come up and bite us in the ass." Olivia pointed out and Rafael nodded. He knew that sometimes Brooklyn cases crossed over to Manhattan and vice versa. 

"Let's do it to be safe then, I'll file my disclosure forms tomorrow." Rafael said and she nodded in agreement. They finished their coffee's and then he walked with her to the precinct, pecking her lips when they got there, then went to get on the subway to Brooklyn. 

Rafael walked into his office and stopped in the doorway when he saw Detective Stabler standing by his book shelf. "Detective? Can I help you?" He asked and Elliot turned toward him, hands shoved in his pockets. Rafael walked to his desk and took a seat motioning for Elliot to sit across from him, and he obliged.

"Liv's birthday is next week. The squad is throwing her a surprise party. This is me extending the invitation to you." Elliot said casually, and Rafael nodded. He hadn't even known her birthday was coming up. He felt a sudden rush to go by her a gift. 

"Thank you. Do you need anything from me?" 

"Yea, actually. February 7th, think you can keep her away from her house until 5:00?" Elliot asked and Rafael nodded. He was thankful that the detective had informed him. He had been concerned that the squad didn't like him, more specifically, Elliot.

Elliot nodded and shook Rafael's hand before seeing himself out of the office. Rafael pulled his phone out and called Olivia. It rang a few times before she answered. "How come you didn't tell me your birthday is next week?" Rafael asked, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth when she chuckled. 

"It's not a big deal. How'd you find out anyway?" She asked curiously, she figured she knew the answer. She was a detective for a reason. 

"Your partner payed me a visit." 

"So that's where he went." Olivia said, sharing her thoughts with him and he laughed. She was sitting on one of the bunks in the bunk room. SVU was slow that morning, and since Elliot wasn't there yet, Cragen had let Liv have a break while they waited for a case. 

"I'm only asking because I genuinely want to know, I promise my mother raised me right, but how old are you going to be?" He asked cautiously, really hoping she wouldn't get mad at him. They were still learning each other's pet peeves, so they had to tread carefully when it came to some things. 

"How old do you think I am?" Olivia teased. 

"Not a day over 30." Rafael joked, but he was being serious at the same time. He figured she was over 30, but she really didn't look it. 

"So you're into younger women?" 

"I'm into you." Rafael responded, a smile crossing his lips. He really wanted to see her. 

"Charmer. If you must know, I'll be 36, and if I remember correctly, you're 34, so I guess you're into older woman." She said, propping her legs up on the bunk, thankful she was getting this time to talk to him. 

Olivia heard her boyfriend chuckle from the line, "I'd hardly consider two years older being into older women." He said and she was thankful he had reacted so well. Truth be told, she was concerned about telling him she was older than him, some men didn't like that. She was glad he wasn't one of those men. 

They talked a little while longer until Fin came in to the bunk room and motioned for her to follow him. She quickly hung up with Rafael and followed him out to the squad room where Cragen was ready to brief them on the case they had caught. 

After work that night, Olivia lounged on her couch, a glass of wine in her hand. Rafael was supposed to be coming over as soon as he finished at his office, so when someone knocked on the door, she jumped up to answer it. "Hey, you. Come on in." She said, opening the door and allowing Rafael to step through.

He kissed her lips, then moved into the kitchen to start making popcorn for their movie. Liv sat back on the couch and watched him move around her kitchen with ease, he had everything memorized already, and she loved it.

"Ok, phones are off, popcorn, wine and scotch, blankets, do you need anything else before we start this movie?" Rafael asked from his spot in the kitchen. 

Liv held out her arms and smiled at him. "You." She said, and Rafael rolled his eyes, but smiled as he made his way over to the couch and laid between her legs. His head resting on her stomach, Rafael turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her torso. 

As the movie started, Liv grabbed a handful of popcorn and started feeding it to him. About halfway through, Olivia could see Rafael's eyes starting to close, but he kept pulling them open. 

"You can sleep, Rafael. I'm comfortable here." She assured him, with a laugh as he snuggled further into her, hands gripping the back of her shirt. Liv smoothed his hair down and kissed it. One of her favorite things about him was how much of a cuddler he was. You'd never guess it, but he loved being in her arms. He was different than any other man she'd been with, but she was so glad he was.

"You can move to my bedroom if you'd be more comfortable." Olivia told him after a moment when she realized he was still awake. 

"No, I wanna stay here. Forever." Rafael said, the sleep very evident in his tone. Olivia wasn't even convinced he meant to say that last part. But she had no complaints. Forever was sounding pretty good to her too.

TBC...


	5. Happy Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little timeline for this AU: Rafael and Olivia first meet between episodes 10 and 11 of Season 10. This chapter takes place between episodes 13 and 14 of Season 10.

Olivia was about to finally go to sleep when her phone rang. She groaned and reached over to the side table and grabbed her phone. Not bothering to check the called ID, she just answered it. "Benson." She said, the annoyance very evident. She heard someone laugh from the other end and she sat up and smiled at the familiar laugh. Her mood had improved in a split second. 

"You sound tired. I promise I won't keep you long." Rafael said.

"Keep me as long as you want." She responded, smiling when he laughed again. She knew she was in deep, they hadn't even been together that long yet the simple sound of his laugh could make her the happiest person. 

"I'll keep that in mind. But actually, I just wanted to ask you something." 

"Hit me."

"You have off tomorrow, right?" Rafael asked. Tomorrow was her birthday, Cragen had given her the day off, but she didn't have any plans for her day. She figured Rafael would have to work. Olivia hummed her confirmation. "Great. I wanna spend the day with you. I took off. Be ready by ten. We'll plan our day then." Rafael said happily.

"Ok, that sounds amazing, Rafael. Thank you." Olivia said, really touched by how much he thought of her. Her heart swelled as she laid down, phone pressed between her ear and her pillow, content to listen to his breathing come through her speaker all night. 

She was almost asleep when he spoke again. "Of course. Now get some sleep, birthday girl. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Rafael said in a husky voice, and Liv knew that meant he was about to go to sleep too. 

"Night, Raf." She whispered, but no one hung up. Eventually, she fell asleep, Rafael was still on the other end of the line. 

When Olivia woke up, she checked her call log to see how long he had stayed on the phone with her after she had fallen asleep. Four hours. She smiled and got out of bed, heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. She was shocked, however, to see her boyfriend already standing in the kitchen making breakfast. How long had he been there? It was only 8:00, surely it couldn't have been long. 

"Morning, sunshine." Rafael said as she came into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around him. Best birthday ever, she thought. Olivia kissed his shoulder and then rested her chin against it. 

"Not that I'm not delighted to see you, but how did you get in here?" She asked, clearly concerned that her security measures were not working if he was able to just come in. He laughed, and she could feel it rumble through his stomach. 

Rafael turned around and pulled her against him, pressing his lips against hers a few times. "Last week you mentioned that you kept a key under your mat. I remember things, Livia." He said, and she smiled, leaning up to kiss him again. "Happy birthday, hermosa. Breakfast will be ready soon. Sit down, I'll bring it to you." He released her form his arms and turned to finish their omelettes.

They ate breakfast together, and then Rafael cleaned up the kitchen while Olivia went to shower and get ready. At 10:00, they left her apartment and caught a cab to Central Park. The couple walked through central park, their fingers laced together. As they walked, Rafael admired the smile on her face. He was happy that he had some part in putting that smile there. 

Around lunch time, they went to their coffee shop and ordered bagels and coffee. They ate in comfortable silence, smiling at each other from across the table. "Is it weird that none of my squad has texted me today?" She asked, and Rafael shrugged. 

"I wouldn't think too much about it. Maybe they caught a case." He tried to convince her, he didn't want her thinking they didn't care, when in reality they were setting up a surprise party for her that night. Olivia nodded and sipped her coffee.

"What's next on our agenda?" She asked as they left the coffee shop, coffee's still in their hands. They walked shoulder to shoulder, brushing as they walked in sync. 

"I got tickets to the 2:00 matinee of Phantom of the Opera." Rafael said, and Olivia stopped in her tracks. 

"You did not!"

"I did." Rafael said, nudging her shoulder. "Come on, or we're going to be late." They started walking again and they ended up in front of the Majestic Theatre. They stood in line to get their tickets scanned and then they made their way into the theatre to find their seats. 

Throughout the show, Olivia kept her head on Rafael's shoulder, as they watched the tragic love story play out on stage in front of them. By the end, Olivia was crying and Rafael pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her as they stood up to clap for the performers.

As they made their way out of the theatre, Rafael pulled out his phone to check the time. 4:30. "Let's go back to my place, Rafa." She said, pulling him to a nearby cab, but he stopped her. 

"Let's walk." He suggested, really hoping she'd agree and wouldn't ask anymore questions. Olivia looked at him suspiciously, but tucked herself back into his side as they started walking in the direction of her apartment. 

When they arrived outside her apartment building, Rafael sent a quick text to Elliot to make sure they were ready for him to bring her up. Once Elliot confirmed, they were outside her door. "Maybe I'm being weird, but I feel like Elliot would've at least texted me today." Liv said as she unlocked her door and opened it. The moment it opened, her whole squad and a few other people jumped out of various hiding spaces around her living room.

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone exclaimed.

Olivia turned around and slapped Rafael's chest. "You knew!" She accused and he laughed, turning her around so she could go greet all of her guests. She introduced Rafael to Kim Greylek, Dr.Huang, Melinda, and Captain Cragen, then he went and stood in her kitchen to watch as she hugged members of her squad and mingled with everyone. 

Rafael was content to stay in the kitchen and sip a glass of scotch. He had gotten to spend the whole day with Olivia and that was enough for him. He also knew how happy she was that her squad hadn't actually forgotten her birthday. "Rafa, come here!" Liv called from where she was talking to some woman that he hadn't been introduced to. 

He approached the two women and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist. "Babe, this is Elliot's wife, Kathy Stabler." Rafael nodded, and held out his hand to shake hers. They started talking and then Olivia left to get them drinks. Rafael kept his eyes on her as she wandered through the people to her kitchen. She must've felt his eyes, because she turned over her shoulder and smiled at him. 

"I didn't realize you two were serious." Kathy said, and Rafael turned back around, his smile faded and was replaced with a confused expression. 

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"You and Olivia. Elliot said you two were just fuck buddies. At least that's what Olivia told him." She said, just as Olivia came back with their drinks. She went to hand Rafael his scotch, but he held up a hand to dismiss it. He wasn't sure what to think. He thought he and Olivia were on the same page with the status of their relationship. Apparently not if she was telling people they were just sleeping together. 

Rafael cleared his throat. "Actually, I think I'm gonna go ahead and head out." He said, a betrayed look in his eyes as he looked at Olivia. 

"What? Why? I thought you were going to stay the night." She asked, setting the scotch he hadn't wanted on the nearby table. He nodded to Kathy before turning to Olivia.

"It seems I've exceeded my stay." Rafael said, turning to walk toward the door. He grabbed his coat off the coat hanger and pulled a card out of the pocket and handed it to her. "This is for you. I'll call you tomorrow." Rafael said, holding her eyes for a second then turning to leave.

TBC...


	6. Reconciliation

Olivia wasn't sure what to think when Rafael abruptly left her birthday party. She tried to go back to socializing with people but her fight with Rafael was biting at the back of her mind. She wasn't even sure if it was a fight, she didn't know what they were fighting about, something or someone had made him upset with her but she didn't know why. 

Everyone left around 10:00, and she was in no mood to clean up, so she left everything out and headed to her bedroom. Lying in bed, Liv grabbed her phone to send a text to Rafael, like they always did on the nights they spent apart. 

L: I hope you made it home alright. Call me tomorrow. Night. 

R: I'll call you when I get off. Happy birthday. Night.

The texts were so bland it almost wasn't even them. Olivia rested against her pillow, trying to rack her brain for anything that could've caused Rafael to become so distant. She couldn't, so she gave up and let sleep consume her. 

The next morning, instead of meeting up with him for coffee, she went straight to the precinct to bury herself in her paperwork. After some time, she went into the break room to get coffee with Elliot and Fin, "Kathy said Rafael left early last night. Everything ok?" Elliot asked, and Olivia shrugged as she stirred sugar and creamer into her coffee. 

"I wish I knew. Something made him upset and he just left. He hasn't said anything about it, he didn't even text me this morning." Olivia said and Fin leaned forward from his spot at the table. She looked over at him, with a smile, knowing they were about to give her relationship advice. 

Elliot put a hand on her shoulder as Fin motioned for her to sit across from him. "So you need to talk to him. Whatever you've got with him is going to go nowhere without communication. Besides, I thought you didn't see this going anywhere?" Fin asked, and suddenly it hit Olivia what this was about. 

A week ago, Elliot kept bugging her about Rafael, asking questions, threatening him, and she couldn't take it anymore. So to get him off her ass, she had told them she didn't see anything happening between them because they were just 'fuck buddies'. Elliot must've told Kathy, who then told Rafael. 

"Shit." Olivia said, when it dawned on her. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen with us, but we are dating, and I care about him. And now I need to fix this." 

Around 7:00 that evening, Olivia left the precinct and took the subway to the Brooklyn DA's office. She hadn't gotten a call from Rafael so she figured he was working later and she was determined to catch him before he left. She took the elevator up to the floor of ADA's, and asked a woman for directions to his office. 

She saw the door with his name on it and sighed in relief when she noticed his door was closed and the lights were still on. "Can I help you?" A young woman, who Liv assumed was his assistant asked from a desk in the center of the lobby. 

"Yea, I'm a detective from Manhattan SVU. I'm here to see ADA Barba." She said, stepping forward to hand the woman her ID and badge. Olivia looked toward his office door and took a deep breath. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say to him. The young woman, Rachel, stood up and led Liv to the office. She opened the door and peaked in. 

"Mr.Barba, there's a detective from Manhattan SVU here to see you." She said and Rafael nodded, Rachel stepped away and let Liv in. 

Olivia walked in and took a few glances around his office, then let her eyes land on him. He was taking notes on a case file, he had yet to look up at her. His jacket and vest were hanging on the back of his chair, his tie was loose around his neck, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked extremely attractive and Olivia would've ran over to hug him if they were under different circumstances. 

Rafael looked up from his file and let himself have a moment to admire her beauty before they started discussing what had happened. "Rafa, I know what Kathy told you." She said, and he nodded. "I only ever said that to get Elliot off our asses. I didn't even think that I could hurt you in the process. I really do care about you. And I really want this relationship to work out." She said, and he nodded, but his expression didn't change. 

"I get that, Liv. But you shouldn't care what your partner has to say about your relationship. You're an adult, you make your own decisions. To hell with what he thinks." Rafael said, standing up from his desk to meet her in the middle of the room. 

"I know, I know. I'm working on that. I just got scared and I didn't know what to say, so I down played my feelings." Liv said and he tilted his head to catch her eyes. This time, when their eyes connected, they both smiled and Rafael pulled her against him. Olivia rested her head on his shoulder and gripped him tight. 

Countless thoughts filled her mind that had been there all week. Maybe they were moving too fast. She couldn't remember ever being this connected to someone so quickly. But she pushed the thoughts away and allowed herself to relax in his embrace. 

Eventually, Rafael pulled back and kissed her forehead before walking back to his desk. "Let me clean this up and then we can go back to my place if that's ok with you?" He asked and Liv nodded, taking a seat on the couch, feeling much lighter than she had when she arrived. 

Rafael packed up his files in his briefcase, then put the pieces of his suit back on. He helped her up from the couch and linked their fingers as they walked out of his office and then out of the DA's office. 

Back at his apartment, Rafael pulled out a pair of his boxers and an old Harvard t-shirt for his girlfriend to wear to bed. "Here. These should work." He said, extending his arm behind him to hand her the clothes. She thanked him and then went into the en suite of his bedroom to get dressed for bed. 

Olivia climbed into bed beside Rafael and curled up against him. "Are we moving too fast?" She asked, loving the feeling of being in his arms. 

"According to some, probably. But all that matters is what we think. I'm good, if you are." Rafael responded, and he felt Liv nod against his chest. She fell asleep there, and Rafael allowed himself to bask in the feeling of holding her. Truth be told, he had been really freaked by what Kathy had told him. He had thought he and Olivia were on the same page, and to think that maybe she was just using him for his body was an awful thought. 

He didn't know the extent of his feelings for her. It was something he couldn't put a name on. It was more than just lust, but he wasn't sure it was love yet. But he liked the newness of them. He wanted to continue to get to know her, to grow with her; find their balance in life. Rafael wasn't good at assessing his feelings. He hadn't been in a serious relationship since college. And now, he was scared to label this as serious, but he didn't want to slow down. 

Rafael was pulled from his thoughts when Olivia shifted in his arms, and gazed up at him through hooded eyelids. "Sleep, babe." She said, and he leaned down to kiss her lips, then rested against his pillow, closing his eyes.

TBC...


	7. Rafael's Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, all of the Spanish is from Google translate, so there's a good chance some of it is wrong lol. Feel free comment any corrections to the Spanish! Thank you for all the comments and kudos!

Two months later, Rafael hiked the stairs of his grandmother's apartment and pushed the door open, immediately pleased with the smell of some of his favorite Cuban dishes being prepared. His mother was setting the table when she noticed his presence. "Rafi, mijo! Work isn't keeping you from us?" She asked, walking over to hug her son. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. 

"I finished my case last week. I've had more days off recently." He said, moving into the kitchen where his Abuelita was making lunch. 

Sunday traditions for the Diaz family. His last name was Barba, but he was a Diaz at heart. That last name was attributed with love, people who had always loved him. Barba was attributed with his father, who wasn't really a good memory in Rafael's head. Sunday lunches started after the elder Barba had passed away a decade ago. 

Rafael, Lucia, and Catalina would all gather at the latter's apartment for lunch, it was a time for connection, and a distraction from the outside world. The time was used to fill each other in on recent events. Lucia would discuss things happening at her charter school, and Rafael would happily listen. He tried to stay away from discussing work much, but recently he'd been talking about Olivia. 

"We were just talking about this new woman in your life." Catalina announced after greeting her grandson. "We really ought to meet her, nieto." She said, and Rafael laughed. He had been thinking about it. He wanted to introduce Olivia to his family, but he hadn't broached the topic with her yet. 

Rafael had met her squad fairly early into their relationship, but she had yet to meet anyone from his personal life. He wasn't bothered by it, but he knew his family would love her. "What is she doing today?" Lucia asked, joining them in the kitchen. Rafael knew where this was going. 

"Mami."

"Invite her!" Lucia said, and Catalina nodded in agreement, wrapping an arm around Rafael and pulling him against his side. She pulled his head down and kissed his forehead like he would do when he was a child. Rafael couldn't deny his family, so he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Olivia. Sure enough, within a few minutes she had responded, announcing that she was on her way. 

Olivia texted him when she was at the bottom of the stairs, and Rafael went down to meet her, so they had a moment to themselves. He jogged down the stairs and smiled when he saw her. "Hey," she greeted when he pulled her against him for an embrace. 

They pulled apart and Rafael laid a hand on the small of her back to lead her up the stairs. "Sorry about the last minute notification. They're really excited to meet you." He said, smiling at her, but it didn't stay when he saw the nervous look on her face. "You ok, Livia?" He asked, stopping and turning toward her. 

"Yes, I just want them to like me." She admitted, and he leaned down to kiss her gently. 

"They will." He assured her, continuing their trip up to Catalina's apartment. Rafael opened the door and let Olivia enter first. Lucia and Catalina were immediately on their feet, coming over to greet her. Lucia smiled at Olivia, then looked over at her son. 

"Ah, Rafi, tenías razón. Ella es hermosa." Lucia said and Rafael smiled, wrapping his arm around Olivia. "Lucia Barba. It's a pleasure to meet you, querida." She pulled Olivia away from Rafael and pulled her into a hug. "I'm a hugger." She admitted, stepping back so her mother could look at her. Catalina cupped Olivia's face with her hands and smiled at her. 

Rafael stood back and watched the interactions, smiling the whole time. He hadn't dated in a while, this was the first girlfriend he had brought home to his family since college. "Si, Rafi. Lo hiciste bien." His grandmother told him, then turned her attention back to Olivia. Of course, Olivia could understand everything they were saying but she wouldn't tell them that. "I'm Catalina Diaz. Rafi's Abuelita. He's told us much about you." The eldest woman told her and Olivia smiled over at Rafael. 

After greetings, they all sat down around the table. "I hope you're hungry, Olivia. We made ropa vieja for lunch and torticas de Moron for dessert." Lucia said as she set the food in the center of the dining table. They all joined hands to bless their food, and Olivia squeezed Rafael's hand and smiled over at him. 

"Olivia, Rafi tells us you're a detective?" Lucia asked, after taking a few bites of her food. 

Olivia nodded. "I actually work for the same unit as Rafael, just different districts. I'm from Manhattan." She explained. Olivia was glad the conversation was comfortable and that they seemed to like her. 

"Well, cariño, be glad you don't work with our Rafi, he can be a dolor en el culo." Lucia said, directing the comment toward Rafael, but when Olivia laughed Lucia and Catalina both looked surprised. "¿Tu entiendes español?" Lucia asked, testing her Spanish. 

"Sí, soy fluida."

Rafael laughed at the faces his mom and grandmother made when they realized she spoke Spanish. "Nieto, are you sure she's not Cubana?" Catalina asked, smiling lovingly at Olivia. 

After lunch and a card game, Olivia figured Rafael would want some time with his family, so she stood to leave. "I'm going to head out." She told her boyfriend and he stood to follow her. He fished in his pocket and pulled out his key ring. He took off his house key and handed it to her. She looked at him confused, but he smiled. 

"Take this. Go to my place, I'll meet you there after I help clean up." He said, but became hesitant when he saw her shocked expression. "I mean, if you want to." He added and she cupped his face and kissed him chastely, careful that it wasn't too much since she knew his family was watching. 

"Ok, text me when you're on your way home, I'll have the door unlocked for you." She said, and laid a hand on his chest before looking behind her to the women seated at the table, both watching with smiles. "Thank you again for lunch, Mrs.Barba and Mrs.Diaz." 

"Of course, anytime! But please, Lucia and Cati will be just fine." Catalina said and Olivia nodded, waving to them and smiling at Rafael before leaving the apartment. Rafael watched her leave, then turned around and walked toward the table. 

"You love her." Lucia jested. 

"Mami." He warned. He really didn't want to have this conversation. He had been trying to work through his feelings for the past two months to no avail. 

"Mami knows best, Rafi. You love her. I see the way you look at her." She told him, and Rafael tried to look to his grandmother for help, but she shook her head, a knowing smile on her face. 

"Ay dios mio. I don't know." Was all Rafael could say. Lucia looked confused as he sat down across from her. 

"You don't know if you love her?"

"I don't, I can't - It's too fast." Rafael argued.

"According to who?" Catalina butted in, and Rafael turned toward her. She had a point. He had been telling Olivia not to let her squad control their relationship, yet here he was allowing society to control it. What kind of hypocrite was he?

"We've known each other for three months, Abuelita." He said and Catalina laughed this time. 

"Your Abuelito and I knew each other for two weeks before we got married." She countered, and Rafael realized where he got his sass from. 

"It's not the same. That was Cuba in the 1950s. This is 2009." Rafael pointed out, helping to gather the dishes and bring them into the kitchen. 

"Where you can make your own decisions. If you love her, nieto, what are you waiting for?" Catalina asked rhetorically and Rafael nodded. He needed to figure out what he felt for Olivia. But right now, all he wanted was to see her. So, he quickly finished cleaning up, then bid Lucia and Catalina goodbye. 

Rafael drove back to his apartment, trying to work through his complicated thoughts. Love was a big thing. He thought back on the last three months of his life and smiled at all of the memories he and Olivia had made. She made him feel happy, and he couldn't help but think that maybe he did love her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Mijo - my son/son  
> Nieto - grandson  
> Querida - dear  
> Tenías razón. Ella es hermosa. - You were right. She is beautiful.  
> Lo hiciste bien - You did well  
> Dolor en el culo - Pain in the ass  
> Tu entiendes español - You understand Spanish  
> Si, soy fluida - Yes, I'm fluent  
> Cariño - Sweetie  
> Cubano - Cuban  
> Ay dios mio - Oh Lord


	8. Olivia's Revelation

"Olivia, my office." Cragen said, and Liv turned to look up from her paperwork. She nodded and stood to walk toward his office, throwing a glance to the rest of her squad. She never got a good feeling when Cragen called her into the office. He shut the door behind her, then walked to his desk. "Brooklyn SVU caught a case with serious ties to Manhattan. The MO is the same as a case we worked earlier this year." Cragen explained and Olivia nodded. She knew where this was going. "They've asked us to come help. ADA Barba will be working the case with us. I trust you, but please keep romantics out of work." 

"Of course, Captain." Liv responded, before leaving his office. She knew she could keep her personal life apart from her professional one. But, she was excited to get to work with him. Since they'd met she had wanted to see him in the courtroom.

Liv returned to her desk and waited until Cragen announced what was happening to the rest of the squad. Pretty soon, they were all in the squad cars, driving to the Brooklyn precinct. "Working with your boyfriend this week. Won't that be weird?" Elliot asked when they pulled into the parking lot. Liv shrugged as she got out and shut the door behind her. 

The squad took the elevator up to the SVU floor, and were greeted by the commanding officer, Lieutenant Justin Vannett. He led them into the squad room, and Olivia couldn't help but smile when she saw her boyfriend seated on the edge of the table. He was facing the whiteboard so he hadn't seen her yet. A female detective was running over what they had so far. 

Lieutenant Vannett cleared his throat and his squad, including Rafael, turned to face him and their guests. "These are the detectives from Manhattan SVU and their Captain. They're here to help us with the case and what they know about this perp." He addressed his squad and they all nodded. "You may continue, Alvarez." Turning back to the female detective. 

Rafael smiled at Olivia, then turned his attention back to the detective. She finished running everything by him and then he stood up. "I can get a warrant for his apartment, but I need a direct contact to the victims from the case in Manhattan to get an arrest." He said, and Liv walked forward a folder in hand. 

"Information from our case. Victim said he called her 'baby girl' and 'honey bear' as he raped her." Olivia told him as she handed him the folder, locking eyes with him. 

"Pet names aren't uncommon, I can't wave a wand and get a warrant. I need probable cause that the same man who raped the women in Manhattan is now striking Brooklyn." Rafael said and Olivia was taken aback. He was challenging her. Maybe she didn't like this working together thing. He seemed to be an ass while at work.

"Both women were brutalized, the stories are identical." Olivia explained, feeling her anger seep in. Did he not care about the victims at all? She was starting to realize why she didn't date lawyers. 

Rafael set his jaw and glared back at her. "Find something. I'm a prosecutor, not a miracle worker." He said, peeling his eyes away from Olivia and grabbing his briefcase to walk out. 

"I'll walk you out, Counselor." Detective Alvarez said, setting a hand on Rafael's shoulder as they walked toward the elevator. Suddenly, Olivia's anger was replaced with jealousy. The detective was beautiful. She watched with a hurt expression as Rafael left the precinct. 

By the end of the week, the detectives had found more evidence, including DNA, to tie their perp to both rapes. The detectives from Brooklyn had invited Olivia, Elliot, Fin, and Munch to drinks with them, and they all took them up on the offer. 

At the beginning of the week, Olivia had been excited to finish the case and then just go home with Rafael after the case. But now, they weren't even talking. They hadn't talked since the fight at the precinct. She missed him. And she hated how close Detective Alvarez was to him. 

They all went to Montero's, similar to Forlini's but in Brooklyn. When Liv walked in, she noticed Rafael seated at the bar next to Alvarez. He had a small smile on his face as she told a story. Olivia stopped and felt a pang of hurt. This didn't go unnoticed by Fin and Elliot. 

"I'll kill the bastard." Elliot said. 

"Man's gonna wish he never stepped foot in Manhattan." Fin replied, starting to walk over to him, but Olivia stopped them both. She walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. She sat on a stool further away from everyone else. Rafael had yet to notice her.

"This seat taken?" Liv heard a familiar voice ask, and she looked up to see Rafael standing beside her. She motioned for him to sit down and he did. "Livia, I've missed you." He said quietly, tilting his head to look at her.

Olivia looked up at him and his green eyes. And for the first time, she felt something different in her heart. Maybe it was love, she thought. Maybe She was in love with him. What a wonderful time to realize that. A revelation made while in the middle of a fight. "It didn't look like it. Over there, huddled close to Alvarez." She muttered, and Rafael looked briefly offended. 

"Melayna has a girlfriend. They're in a committed relationship. As am I. I'm with you, Liv. I'm not throwing that away." He promised, and once again that feeling came back to her heart as a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She should've known that Rafael would never hurt her like that. But they still had yet to discuss what had transpired at the precinct. 

"And what about the precinct?" 

"I keep my professional life and my personal life separate. We fought about a case, that's what cops and lawyers do. I will never bring whatever happens at work into our relationship." Rafael said, and Olivia leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. "Promise me, next time we argue, don't shut me out. You can't scare me like that. I thought you were breaking up with me." He admitted and she shook her head. 

Eventually, the couple bid goodbye to everyone and then headed back to Rafael's apartment. As soon as they were in the door, Rafael had her pressed against the wall, lips against hers. "I haven't kissed you in a week. Now I don't want to stop." He whispered against her lips and she laughed. 

"No one's stopping you." Olivia promised, leaning in to capture his lips again. She ran her hands up his back and through his hair. And in that moment, in his apartment, kissing him, Olivia felt that same feeling in her heart and she couldn't help but think that maybe she did love him.

TBC...


	9. Interrupted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just a fluffy filler (a little bit of smut if you squint) chapter, taking place between episodes 18 and 19 of season 10. Next one will be longer and will be based around the season finale of Season 10. Enjoy!

They both had bad habits of not keeping food in their apartments, so on Saturday morning, Rafael had called her and insisted she meet him at a grocery store in Brooklyn to pick up groceries for both of their respective apartments. They had been planning on spending her day off together, and she figured this was a good way to spend it. 

Olivia pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and got out of the SUV, searching for Rafael. She saw him parked a few spaces down, so she walked over and knocked on his window. He looked up from his phone, and rolled his window down. 

"Hey, stranger." She said, leaning through the open window to kiss him in greeting. "Ready to shop?" Liv asked, stepping back so he could open the door of his Lexus and get out. They walked into the store together and Rafael grabbed a cart. 

Olivia had two lists in her hand and she helped Rafael keep track of what they needed to pick up. They got to the snack aisle and Rafael turned to her. "What snacks should I get for my place?" He asked, partially because he didn't know what her favorite snack was.

"Oreos." Olivia replied, grabbing a pack off the shelf and setting it in the cart. Rafael grabbed a few bags of chips, and then once they got the rest of their items, they made their way to checkout. Olivia placed the items on the conveyor belt as Rafael stepped forward to pay. "Wait, Rafa, let me pay for half." She said, reaching for her purse, but he had already handed his credit card to the cashier. 

"Don't worry about it, Livia." He assured her, grabbing the bags and placing them in the cart. Anytime they went to dinner together, Rafael always insisted on paying, so Olivia tried to find other times that she could pay. Morning coffee runs had been on her for the past month, but that still didn't come close to the amount of money he was spending on her. Rafael loved to do it though, so she didn't argue, she just thanked him and moved on. 

"We'll just put all of your groceries in my fridge, then you can just take them home with you when you leave." Rafael said as they walked out of the store. He assumed Olivia was going to come back to his place and spend the rest of the day with him. 

Olivia helped him load all of the grocery bags into his trunk. "Sounds good to me." She said, putting the last bag in and stepping back so he could close the trunk. "I'll see you back at your place." She said, and he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. 

It didn't take long for them to both get back to his place. They carried the groceries inside and Rafael played Cuban music while they put the groceries for his apartment away. When they were done, he grabbed her hand and pulled her against him, leading them in a dance. 

Olivia laughed and tried to keep up with his steps. She supposed she should've realized that he would be a good dancer. "Your hips certainly don't lie, Rafael." She said, after he spun her in and dipped her. He smirked and pulled her up, the hand that was around her waist, now rested on the back of her head as he kissed her. She moaned as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Her hands played with the hair at the nape of his neck, as his trailed down her back. One came to rest on her hip as he tucked the other into the back pocket of her jeans.

Olivia pulled her head back an inch when a phone rang. "I'm on call." She said, but Rafael couldn't be stopped. He was trailing hot kisses down her jawline to her neck. 

"It's mine. Don't worry about it. If it's an emergency, they'll call back." He said, now lifting her up on the counter. His lips returned to her mouth, as his hands grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. She arched her back into him when he palmed her breast through her bra. 

"Not fair." She whispered, breathlessly against his lips, Referring to the fact that he was now trying to unbutton her jeans, but he was still fully clothed. She placed her hands on his chest and smiled at the look on his face, before pulling his shirt off and throwing it behind him where her discarded shirt was also laying. 

Now that he was shirtless, Olivia didn't hesitate in running her hands over his bare chest, tracing his nipple with one of her fingers. Her eyes ran down his body, acknowledging the bulge in his jeans. She palmed his erection and leaned in to kiss him again when he moaned her name. 

The couple was so entranced in one another that neither of them heard the front door open. Lucia walked through the living room and gasped at the sight before her. 

Lucia's gasp caused Rafael and Olivia to jump apart. Rafael lifted his girlfriend off the counter and flipped them so his body was blocking her, hoping to save her dignity. "Lo siento, hermosa." He whispered to her as he fastened her bra that he had just unclipped moments before his mother had interrupted them. 

His mother was rambling something that he wasn't paying attention to as he helped Olivia make herself decent. Once she was dressed again, she patted his chest in apology, noticing he was still very much turned on. But there was nothing they could do about that as his mother was watching them from the living room. 

Olivia tried not to be embarrassed as she walked into the living room. This was definitely not how she imagined meeting his mother for the second time. 

"Sorry, Mrs.Barba, we were just-"

"Oh no, dear, I'm fairly certain I know what you were doing." Lucia said with a laugh. This was obviously amusing to her, but Olivia blushed and tried to fake a laugh as well. She looked back into the kitchen, hoping Rafael would save her from this embarrassment soon. 

"Mami, what the hell are you doing here?" Rafael asked, rubbing his temple in irritation as he walked into the living room.

Lucia looked only slightly set back by her son's tone. "Detener la actitud, Rafi. How was I supposed to know you were apunto de hacer el amor. You didn't answer your phone!" She said, and Rafael cringed at his mother's choice of words, but cursed himself for not answering his phone. 

"You could've at least knocked on the door." He pointed out, to which his mother just shrugged. "You still never answered my question." 

"I made pastelitos, I thought you might want some." She said, handing Rafael a paper bag. "I'll be out of your hair now. I'm sorry for interrupting." Lucia said, and Rafael leaned forward to kiss her cheek. 

"Gracias, Mami." Lucia nodded and waved to both of them as she left. Rafael let out a sigh as he set the bag on the counter. He turned around and smiled at Olivia who was still sitting awkwardly on the couch. "You ok?" He asked and Liv shrugged. 

Her pride had been a little wounded, and the mood was definitely killed. She really didn't want Lucia to think any less of her, and she didn't think she minded, but Olivia couldn't help but worry. 

"I should be asking you that." Olivia said, knowing he couldn't have been comfortable. 

"I might need a cold shower, but I'm ok." He assured her, as he lowered himself onto the couch beside her. She climbed into his lap, and tucked herself under his chin. The sexual intimacy had died down, but the moment was still intimate and they were both very aware of it.

Rafael's heart swelled with love for the woman who was currently in his lap. He tightened his arms around her, never wanting to let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Lo siento - Sorry  
> Hermosa - Beautiful  
> Detener la actitud - Stop the attitude  
> Apunto de hacer el amor - About to make love  
> Pastelitos - Cuban pastry dessert  
> Gracias - Thank you


	10. Zebras

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is based around the finale of season 10 "Zebras". Moments from this chapter will reference that episode, you don't necessarily have to watch the episode to understand this chapter though.

"You think you'll be out on Friday in time for our anniversary dinner?" Rafael asked. He was on the phone with Olivia during her lunch break. Their five month anniversary was in a few days and they had reservations at a five star restaurant. 

"Yea, the case is clean cut, we've got DNA evidence to nail this prick, open and shut." Olivia assured him, taking a bite of her sandwich that Elliot had just laid on her desk. She talked with Rafael for a few more minutes before hanging up. 

This case was one of the easiest ones their team had ever handled. A woman was found murdered in the park, a man doing community service happened to leave early around the time of the murder. Within hours, the squad finds a bloody knife in Peter Harrison's apartment with the victim's DNA on it. All they had to do was take it to court and case closed. 

Olivia was glad that they had an easy case the week of her and Rafael's anniversary. They had a weekend planned together and she had been hoping she would finish her caseload by Friday at 6:00. But it only took a few minutes for her hopes to fall short. 

Harrison's lawyer, Julia Zimmer, found a technical error in the evidence paperwork. And just like that, the open and shut case, can't shut. All because a CSU technician, Dale Stuckey, made a careless mistake. Now a murderer was going to walk. 

"Stuckey swears he didn't make a mistake." Liv said, walking back into the precinct after Judge Donnelly had to let Harrison walk. She was pissed, to say the least. She knew this meant they were going to have to find something else to tie this murder to him, and she was starting to realize they may not be done in time for her anniversary dinner. 

"Paperwork doesn't lie. Who the hell let him on the job anyway?" Elliot said, throwing his jacket onto his desk. The whole squad was upset. They spent the day going back through the case, trying to find anything to nail this guy. Munch and Fin were following Harrison around, making sure he didn't do anything else. 

As the case went on, it got worse. Another woman was found murdered when Munch and Fin lost track of Harrison, he attempted to kill Elliot and Judge Donnelly, and succeeded in killing his lawyer. All within a few days. 

Liv was working late nights and sometimes pulling all nighters. She hadn't gotten a chance to see or even talk to Rafael since the case started going downhill. She missed him, and she really needed to be grounded right now. Just hearing his voice would be enough to ease her stress. Stuckey was convinced Harrison was after her next, and while part of her wanted to tell her boyfriend right away, she didn't want to concern him. 

The light at the end of the tunnel finally came when a CSU technician informed them that a mosquito found in Zimmer's car had sucked the blood from the killer as they rigged her car with the gas. As soon as the DNA processed, they'd be able to implicate and convict Harrison of that murder. 

Friday afternoon, the squad was in the bull pen. "O'Halloran's got something for us. I'm heading to the forensics lab to check it out." Elliot announced after getting off the phone with the CSU technician. He grabbed his overcoat, and put it on as he left the precinct. When he arrived, O'Halloran was dead. Stabler saw the DNA match on the computer. Dale Stuckey. This was all Stuckey, he thought, just as he felt a sharp pain in his head as his world went black. 

Back at the precinct, Liv sat at her desk talking with Fin. "It shouldn't take Stabler that long to confirm the evidence matches Harrison." Fin said, and Olivia agreed, so she pulled out her phone to call him. When the line went through, she was confused when Stuckey answered the phone. 

"Hey, Stuckey. Is Elliot there?" 

"Nope. Sorry, Liv. He and O'Halloran went for sushi." Stuckey said, and Liv hung up and immediately grabbed her coat. She knew her partner. He hated sushi. She ran out of the precinct and drove over to the forensics lab as fast as she could. 

Olivia texted the rest of the squad on the way and told them to call for back up. When she arrived, she quietly snuck in the back door, gun drawn. Her gun lowered when she saw her partner tied to a chair, bleeding from multiple wounds to his chest, but he was alive, that's what mattered. Her mind raced as she tried to assess the situation. 

Stuckey had made her drop her weapon, his gun was on her so she kept her movements slow, eyes locked on the crooked CSU technician, occasionally looking over to make eye contact with Elliot. She looked into the barrel of the gun. She'd been in this situation many times before, yet in all her years on the job, this moment felt the heaviest. Because now she had someone besides her squad, who cared if she lived or died. She thought of Rafael, and how he would be at the restaurant soon, waiting for her. She thought of Kathy and the kids, who would be waiting at home for Elliot. She needed to get them out of there, and she would do whatever was necessary. 

Olivia didn't even register all of the words as they left her mouth. She was convincing Stuckey that she was sick of Stabler too, that she hated him. She slapped him multiple times, Stuckey hit him in the head with the barrel of the gun. Stuckey still didn't believe her though. 

"We can be together." Liv promised, walking toward the younger man. She had to stop herself from cringing at her words. "We'll get rid of him. But first, I want him to watch." 

"Watch what?" Stuckey asked, slowly dropping the gun so it was now pointed to the ground. 

"This." Olivia said, gaining the will to lean forward and press her lips against his. Nothing felt right. It was her anniversary and here she was, lips locked to another man. She knew her man would understand, but all she wanted right now was to get out of there and be in Rafael's arms. As she pressed herself further into Stuckey's arms, she willed herself to think of Rafael. Her amazing Rafael, who she was in love with. She had wanted to tell him at dinner that night. 

Olivia opened her eyes to look at Elliot, they exchanged a glance, and within a second, Elliot was able to kick Stuckey and Olivia was able to knock him out all the way. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she ran over to untie Elliot. He was bleeding pretty badly from his chest, and she was almost certain he had a concussion. 

Fin came in to handcuff Stuckey and take him out to the squad car. Liv thanked him, before driving Elliot to the hospital. 

An hour later, Olivia sat in the waiting room of the hospital, thinking back on the events of the day. "Livia!" She looked up and smiled. Rafael was running through the doors, decked out in a black tux. Olivia walked to meet him in the center of the room, she placed her hands on his chest and straightened his bow tie. He smiled and pulled her against him, arms slipping around her waist as hers found their way around his neck.

Rafael hadn't known what to think when Olivia didn't show up to their anniversary dinner. He knew she wouldn't stand him up, so he immediately began thinking the worst. He had tried calling her multiple times, even called the 16th precinct, but nobody would give him any information. Eventually, he got a call from Fin, confirming that Liv had been in a hostage situation and was now at Mercy Hospital. A weight was lifted off of his chest as he held her close to him. 

They sat down in two of the chairs and Olivia ran her fingers through her hair. "What the hell happened, and who the hell do I need to kill?" He asked, bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks, making sure she didn't have any marks. She laughed and grabbed his wrists to pull them away from her face so she could hold his hands. 

"I'm fine, Rafa. Stuckey wasn't after me. Stabler had it out for him since the beginning of the case." She started explaining, and Rafael listened intently. "When I got there, I had to act like I hated Stabler too."

"How'd you get out of there?" That was the golden question. She really didn't want to have to explain to him that she had kissed another guy on their anniversary. She knew it technically wasn't cheating since she was acting, but she couldn't help but feel bad about it. 

"I kissed him." She muttered, breaking away from his gaze, now focusing on a tile of the floor. 

"Liv."

Olivia finally looked back up at him, acknowledging the questioning look on his face. "I kissed him. He was in love with me." Rafael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but not because he was upset with her, he just didn't like the idea of someone else loving her. 

"He's not the only one." Rafael thought, but when he looked into Liv's eyes he realized he hadn't just thought it. He'd said it aloud. And now her beautiful eyes were staring at him, a nervous look on her face. "Shit, Liv, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I mean - I meant it, I just didn't mean to say it. We can just forget it even happened, there's no need for-." His rambling was cut off when Olivia leaned over and kissed him, making sure not to deepen it too much because they were in public. 

"I love you too." She promised with a laugh, Rafael looked at her stunned and she couldn't help but laugh at how adorable he was. He smirked, and she leaned back in to kiss the side of his mouth. "Say it, Rafa. I wanna hear it." She pleaded, and he kissed her hair. 

"Te amo, eres el amor de mi vida."

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Te amo - I love you  
> Eres el amor de mi vida - You are the love of my life


	11. Past, Present, Future

Their relationship evolved so much in the next two months. Now that they had said those precious three words, Rafael had found himself saying them at the most random times, because he could, and he because he knew she would say them back. Some would think that since he said it so much it might not hold as much significance anymore, but Olivia's heart still skipped a beat when he told her he loved her. 

Not only had Olivia and Rafael's relationship evolved, but she had also spent quite a few Sunday brunches with his mother and grandmother and she was happy to have a bond with them as well. They had welcomed her with open arms and she couldn't thank them enough for that. Many times she had caught Lucia calling her mija. She didn't mind at all, she was actually quite happy about it. 

And yet, with all of this, she was still quite nervous when Lucia invited her to lunch, just the two of them. Any time she had been around Lucia, Rafael had been there as well, and now she was starting to worry that maybe the only reason Lucia was nice to her was because Rafael was around. She pushed that thought away as she opened the door to Panera Bread and walked over to Lucia who was seated over by a window. 

"Hola, mija! How are you?" Lucia greeted, standing to embrace her. Olivia smiled and sat across from her once Lucia released her. They made small talk and then Liv went to place their order. It was strange to sit there with Lucia without Rafael, but it wasn't awkward like she feared it'd be, they made easy conversation. 

"So, Olivia, my Rafi makes you happy?" Lucia asked, once they had their food. She knew there was probably a hidden reason for the sudden invite for lunch, and it was about to be revealed. 

"Very." Olivia promised as a smile crossed her face at the mention of her favorite person. "He's amazing. I really love him." Lucia smiled knowingly. 

"You see this going far? Marriage someday? Children?" Lucia asked and the questions were a lot for Olivia, she hadn't thought that far into the future, and she had never talked about any of it with Rafael. She had always wanted to be a mother, but she wasn't sure how Rafael felt about children. 

"Perhaps someday. I try to live in the moment, but I do see Rafael in my future." Olivia said, and Lucia accepted that answer. 

"I just want to make sure his heart is safe with you." She explained, and Olivia nodded. "He's had his heartbroken before, so badly that I was starting to think he'd never love again. I fear that if you two don't work out, he won't love again. He may seem unbreakable, but he's fragile. He's had a hard life, I tried my best, but I wasn't a perfect mother. He's got so much love to give, I just want him to be happy for once." 

Lucia's words caused Olivia's heart to swell with so much love for Rafael. He had never talked about his childhood, but she could guess that it wasn't easy. He never talked about his father, so she had assumed they weren't close. He also hadn't ever talked about past relationships with her, yet she suddenly had an urge to hurt whoever had hurt him so badly. 

When Olivia got back to Rafael's apartment after her lunch, she immediately found him in the kitchen and she wrapped her arms around him from behind. "What's this about?" He asked with a chuckle. 

"I just love you a lot." She whispered. "I hope you know that." Liv brushed her lips against the side of his neck.

"I love you too." He murmured, turning around so he could actually kiss her. She patted his chest, then walked away so he could finish making his lunch. Liv sat on the couch and started to think about everything Lucia had told her. She wanted to ask Rafael about his exes, she wanted to know if he had certain walls up that she would have to break down. 

Rafael carried his lunch into the living room and sat beside her on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Can I ask you something?" Olivia finally asked. 

"Anytime."

"Tell me about your ex."

Rafael almost choked on his sandwich. He coughed lightly and took a sip of his water, then he turned toward his girlfriend, who had started rubbing circles on his back. "My ex? She nodded. He sighed. He couldn't deny her. He knew his mother must've said something. 

"Yelina Muñoz. She didn't grow up on Jerome Avenue, but she moved there freshman year. She became friends with Alex, Eddie, and I." He started, Olivia could feel him getting tense, so she had continued to rub his back. "Senior year we finally crossed that line. Our relationship was great, she was my first true love. I had dated Lauren Sullivan the year before, and she could've massacred my entire family and at the time I would've turned the other cheek. But now, when I look back, I don't think I ever loved her. Yelina was different though. I was head over heels for her." 

"What happened?" Olivia spoke softly, her hand now stroking up his neck, running her fingers through the hair at his nape. 

"College. I got a full ride to Harvard. She didn't want me to leave, but this was my chance. So, I left. I promised to come visit and that once I finished my first four years, we would get married. She agreed. But when I came back the summer after freshman year, she was dating my best friend, Alex. They're married now. Two kids."

Once again, Olivia's heart swelled for him. She slid closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder, he draped his arm around her. "How did that make you feel?" She asked, these were the walls she needed to break down. 

"It hurt really bad at first. I lost my girlfriend and my best friend all in the same day. I shielded my heart for years after that. I didn't have any long term relationships because I was so scared of being hurt again." He explained.

Olivia made a promise to herself then to not hurt this man. She still didn't know where this relationship was going to go, she hoped that it would last, but nothing was ever guaranteed. But she could promise to do her best not to hurt him the way his ex had. She couldn't even fathom the thought of cheating on him - on anyone. 

"I'm sorry." Liv said, snuggling into his side. 

"Not your fault. Yelina's old news." He promised before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I have you now." 

Olivia didn't have anything solidified with their relationship, but it seemed Rafael's family did. After Liv left his apartment the following day, Rafael went over to his Abuelita's apartment, and she took her wedding ring off of her finger and handed it to her grandson. 

Rafael carefully took the silver band in his hand and turned it over, looking back up at Catalina, clearly confused. "I want you to give it to Olivia. When you're ready." She explained, and Rafael almost argued, but tears came to his eyes and he couldn't find the words to argue with the old woman. Or maybe he didn't want to argue. He started to think of what it could be like to be married to Olivia, and he only had good thoughts. 

Reality hit him though. They weren't even living together yet. They had only been together for seven months. But he agreed to hang onto the ring and give it to Olivia when they were both ready to take that next step. He didn't know when that would be, but when he got home and tucked the box into the back of one of his drawers, he smiled. 

TBC...


	12. Good Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter! This one takes place around Season 11 Episode 8. Thank you for all of the comments and kudos. They're greatly appreciated. Enjoy this chapter! :)

Rafael was typing an email to the DA when his office door opened. He looked up and rolled his eyes, but a smile crossed his face at the same time. "Rita, to what do I owe the headache?" He asked, which earned him a middle finger from his long-time friend, or pain in the ass as he liked to refer to her. 

"Hilarious. Can't I just stop in to say hello?" She asked sarcastically. 

"Not at work. Besides, aren't we getting drinks Thursday night?" He knew they were. Rita had texted him earlier in the week saying she missed him. In all honesty, Rafael felt bad. He hadn't been keeping in contact with all of his friends recently, so he had agreed to get drinks with Rita. 

The defense attorney sat on the couch, "We are, but you have some explaining to do." Rafael stood from his desk to sit beside her on the couch. "You didn't tell me you were seeing someone." 

"I didn't realize I needed to disclose my personal relationships with you." 

"We've been friends for years, Rafael. You could've at least texted me." Rita deadpanned, holding his gaze. 

Rafael rolled his eyes. "How'd you find out anyway?" He asked. 

"I'm counsel for one of Manhattan SVU's suspects." She started. 

"Aren't they so lucky."

Rita ignored his comment and continued explaining. "Detective Benson has a picture of the two of you on her desk. You looked very - cuddly." She explained, and Rafael couldn't hold back his smile, as he stood to grab a picture frame off of his desk. 

He held it up for Rita to see. "This one?" He asked and she stood to grab it from him. 

"So you finally opened your heart again?" Rita asked. She was one of the only people who knew of all the walls he put up after Yelina. She had helped him through that time in his life, because she was his best friend in college. Professionally they may be against each other, but personally, he knew they'd always be on the same side. They had each other's back. 

The two lawyers had met during their first year at Harvard Law. They were always top of their classes, so they stuck together. They were best friends, many times people thought they'd always end up as more, but to them, they never wanted to cross that line. Rita dated people, and Rafael tried to stay away from the dating scene after everything that happened with Yelina. 

When they graduated, they moved to New York together and bought an apartment while they worked at a law firm in the Bronx. Barba quickly realized being a defense attorney wasn't his thing, so he became a prosecutor and pretty soon he was working with Bronx SVU, eventually he bought an apartment in Brooklyn and became the ADA for them. It was always a political climb for him. He was on track to be the district attorney, or to be a judge. But for once in his life, he wasn't married to the job. He was in love, and it felt nice to focus on something other than sex crimes for once. 

"Yea, it was nerve wracking at first, but I'm really happy now." Rafael set the picture frame back down before turning back to Rita. 

"How long?"

"Almost eight months. Abuelita gave me her wedding ring." This was the first time Rafael was disclosing that information with anyone. He hadn't even told his mother yet. To be fair, he was scared she'd go into cardiac arrest.

Rita gasped, "So it's serious?" Rafael nodded. "I'm happy for you, Barba. I'll let you get back to work now, but I'll see you Thursday." He smiled at his old friend as she left his office.   
\---

Rita walked into the sixteenth precinct on Thursday afternoon and all of the detectives turned toward her, obviously confused. "Your client is at Rikers, Counselor." Fin said, and she nodded at him, but turned toward Olivia. 

"Detective Benson, a word?" She asked, and gestured toward the break room. Liv shrugged and followed the other woman. "I've come to the realization that you're dating an old friend of mine." Rita explained, sitting at the table as Olivia poured them coffee. She turned around, shocked. 

"You know Rafa?" Liv asked, the nickname subconsciously slipping out. Rita smiled. 

"Unfortunately." Rita joked, causing Olivia to crack a smile in return. "We've been friends since college." 

Rafael hadn't discussed any of his friends except Eddie and Alex, and she knew they didn't talk all the time, she also knew there was a strain between him and Alex since he had married Yelina. It was comforting to know he had a good friend who'd been there for him through his hardest times.

"You're who he's going to get drinks with tonight?" Olivia asked. Rafael had just told her he was going out with a friend from college and that he'd stop by her apartment after that, but she hadn't bothered to pester him about who it was. She trusted him completely. 

Rita nodded, "Sorry to steal him from you, I promise it won't be long, just want a chance to catch up with him." She explained, and the two women talked for a few minutes before Rita left.   
\----

Drinks with Rita went well. They shared memories from college and discussed things that had been happening in their lives recently. The evening was full of laughs between the two lawyers, and Rafael was glad that they had the time to catch up. But, it had been a long day, and he was more than ready to go back to Olivia's apartment because they hadn't seen each other since Tuesday. 

Rafael hugged Rita, then took a cab to his girlfriend's apartment. It was a little past 9:00, and with a quick text, he confirmed that she was still awake. When he arrived, he hit the buzzer and waited for her voice to come through the speaker. "Rafa?"

"In the flesh, mi amor." He responded, shifting on his feet. She buzzed him in and he took the stairs up to her floor. She was waiting for him in the hallway, and as soon as her eyes landed on him, she walked up to him, grabbing his face and pecking his lips. He smiled and walked with her into her apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him. 

"Are you tipsy, or can you share a drink with your girlfriend?" She asked as she moved into her kitchen and opened the cabinet. 

"I'm never too drunk to share a drink with you." He flirted shamelessly, sitting in one of the barstools. She smirked at him as she grabbed two wine glasses out of the cabinet. 

Olivia held up her bottle of Cabernet. "I need to get more of your scotch, is this ok?" She asked, and he nodded, so she poured them both a glass and slid his across the table to him. They clicked their glasses before taking a sip. Olivia leaned against the counter. 

"How were drinks with Rita?" 

"Good. It was really nice to talk to her again." He explained, then flashed a smile at her. "I missed you the whole time though." Liv leaned across the table and pressed her lips to his.

"I wish I could've seen you more this week, but I was so caught up with work." Olivia explained once they pulled back. 

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that." Rafael started, and Liv tilted her head, curious as to what he wanted to talk about. "I want us to go on a vacation. Just the two of us. Two weeks off work, I know you have vacation days stocked up. Let's go somewhere with a beach, and just forget about work for a while." He broached and Olivia didn't know what to say. She hardly allowed time for herself, and she hadn't been on a vacation in a long time. But the idea of going away with Rafael excited her. To have him all to herself, no work phone calls, no late nights at the office, and especially no Lucia Barba to walk in on intimate moments. But she didn't want to leave her team, she felt bad taking time for herself when she knew a victim would always walk through the doors of SVU and she wouldn't be there to help them. 

She sighed and reached for Rafael's hand. "I'm tempted to, Rafa, but-"

"Just think about it." He said, standing up and walking over to the couch to open his briefcase and pull something out. "We don't need to make any decisions now. Just look these over and think about it." He said, setting a few vacation pamphlets on the counter. The Bahamas, Hawaii, etc. "I have to go to a conference out of state next week. When I get back, let's figure this out." He suggested, but Olivia was now stuck on the fact that he was leaving New York. This was the first she was hearing about it. 

"Wait, you're leaving?" 

"Two weeks at most. I'll call everyday." He promised, taking the last swig of his Cabernet, passing the empty glass to her to put in the sink. Liv washed them by hand and then set them aside to dry. 

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart." Rafael said, drawing an 'X' over his heart. He would do it for both of them, because he was definitely going to miss her. He had gotten used to seeing her almost everyday. He hadn't had someone to come home to in so long, and even though they didn't live together, for Rafael, home wasn't a place anymore, it was Olivia. 

TBC...


	13. Perverted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a while since I've updated this. I've been going through a lot recently and writing has kind of taken the back burner. But, I was feeling down today and decided to try and write to feel better, so here's a new chapter. It's definitely not my best work, but it's here. It briefly follows Season 11 Episode 9 "Perverted", but the details from the episode are definitely off, I didn't watch it while I wrote, I just went by what I remembered. It's AU for a reason though, right? Also there's some smut at the end, if that's not your thing you can always skip it, it has no plot bearing. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

"Call me as soon as you land." Olivia said, gripping Rafael tightly in the airport. The day had finally arrived for his conference in Florida, she had been dreading this day since he told her. She didn't want him to leave, she didn't even like not seeing him for a day, two weeks was going to be the death of her. 

"I will, cariño." Rafael promised, pulling back and kissing her lightly. "I love you." He whispered, pulling away from her, holding her hand as he slowly backed away to walk further into the airport to the luggage check. 

Liv smiled, "I love you, too." With that, Rafael winked at her and let go of her hand as he turned to walk over to luggage check. She watched him until he was out of sight, then she turned to go to the precinct. This day wasn't different than any other, she still had a job to do.   
\---

The next night, Olivia skyped her boyfriend, smiling widely when his face appeared on the screen of her laptop. "Hey, Rafa." Her voice was a little scratchy when she spoke, it had been since that morning, she assumed she was coming down with a cold, no big deal. 

They talked for a while, Liv coughing every few minutes. Eventually, he questioned her about it. "Livia, are you ok? You've been coughing a lot." He pointed out, she waved a hand to dismiss his concern. 

"I'm fine, Rafael. Really, it's just a cold. Don't worry about me." She promised, he looked skeptical but didn't push it further. She was an adult, and she knew her needs better than he did. That's what he believed until he called her the next day and he knew for sure she was sick. 

Rafael had tried to convince her to let him fly back to New York, but she refused. So instead, he made her stay home from work and texted his mother to check in on her. 

Liv was lying on her couch, reading over a case file when there was a knock on the door. Elliot had already checked on her that morning, so she knew it was Lucia. She hauled herself off the couch and walked over to the door, her body aching with each step. 

As soon as Lucia was inside, the older woman immediately wrapped an arm around Olivia and helped her back to the couch. "Rest, mija. I'm going to make some chicken noodle soup for you. Have you eaten anything yet?" Lucia asked, as she made herself at home in Liv's kitchen. She shook her head which just made Lucia work faster. She pulled out ingredients that she had brought with her and got to work on the soup. Her phone sat on the counter and she was playing some soft Cuban music from it, which was very relaxing to Olivia. 

"Alright, my dear, can you sit up and eat some of this for me? You need to have something in your stomach." Lucia said in a very motherly tone, that almost brought tears to Liv's eyes as she sat up and took a bite of the soup that Lucia had just set down. 

Olivia took a few more bites before setting the bowl on the coffee table, then looked over at Lucia. "Thank you, it's delicious." She said and Lucia pulled her against her side and pressed a kiss to her forehead, smoothing her hair down. 

"No need for thanks, chica. My Rafi loves you, so it's my job to care for you too. Rafi comes with a big, loving family, so if you want him, you get all of us." Lucia said, and that sounded wonderful to Olivia. She didn't have much family, so to be getting one now felt amazing. 

"That sounds perfect to me."  
\---

It all happened so fast. Ed Tucker coming into the precinct and handcuffing her. She was so confused by the whole situation. The car that had been involved in the murder, she hadn't driven in a year, the time of the murder was when she was laying in bed sick, but she had no one to back up her story. Lucia could vouch that she had been there in the afternoon, but Olivia was alone that evening. 

When Elliot paid her bail, she immediately went to the precinct and called Rafael. He didn't know about anything that had happened. She hadn't even called him when they were investigating her because she figured it would go away once they found something that proved her innocent. Never had she even thought that they would find her DNA at the scene of the crime.

The phone rang a few times before she heard it click through. Before he could even greet her, she spoke. "Rafael, I need you to not be my boyfriend for this conversation." Olivia started. "I need you to be a lawyer."

"Ok, what's going on?" Rafael asked, immediately confused. 

"If someone is being implicated in a murder, and all evidence including DNA points to that person, what's the lowest possible consequence?" She asked, she was sure she knew the answer. She'd been working in SVU for years, but she needed to hear it from a lawyer. 

"If it's first degree murder, the luckiest you'll get is life with a chance of parole. Liv, why are you asking me this?" Rafael asked, dropping his lawyer attitude, because he was clearly concerned. 

She sighed, "I'm being charged with first degree murder. I swear I didn't do anything, I'm being set up, but Elliot can't find anything to prove that." 

"What the hell?! Where are you?" He asked quickly.

"I'm at the precinct. Elliot paid my bail. But it's only a matter of time until my trial. I don't know what to do, Rafa." She confessed, the tears falling down her face. All she wanted to do was fall into Rafael's arms. It was like he could read her mind. 

"I'm flying home tonight. I'm leaving my apartment right now, I'll be there as soon as possible. I love you, Liv. We're going to get this figured out." He promised, she nodded and whispered her thanks before hanging up. She stayed at the precinct for almost three hours, she couldn't help with the case, but she'd be damned if she just sat around. Eventually, she got a cab to her apartment where she would wait out her boyfriend's arrival, and once he got there, they would figure out how to clear her name. Apparently, the universe had other plans, because when she got to her apartment she wasn't alone. The man Elliot had warned her about, the guy they were convinced was setting her up was in her apartment, with a weapon. 

She backed down, she didn't have her weapon since that and her badge had been taken at the time of her arrest. She followed her training she had used many times before. Olivia questioned him as if they were in an interrogation room. He confessed. Now it'd be a lot easier to clear her name. 

Outside her apartment, Elliot and Fin tried to figure out how to get her out of there. The man had been released from prison, and they knew where he was going to go first. Breaking in would only anger him more, so they stayed outside the door, listening carefully as Olivia reasoned with him. 

Ten minutes into it, the elevator at the end of the hall opened, and Rafael, carrying his luggage, ran out. "Where is she?" He asked, and Elliot rolled his eyes. He had tolerated the man, but after knowing Liv was sick and he hadn't bothered to come back to take care of her made him mad. And then when she was arrested, he wasn't there again. 

"Why do you care?" Elliot snapped, and Rafael looked surprised.

"I'm her boyfriend. I love her." Rafael said, stalking toward Elliot, coming to stand directly in front of him. 

Elliot laughed, "Could've fooled me. She's been sick all week and you were off in Florida. Now she's facing murder charges and you can't be bothered to show up until she's being fucking held hostage!" He yelled, and now they were both fuming. Fin could be heard beside them trying to get them to back off each other, they weren't helping anything by fighting while Liv was still stuck in her apartment with a murderer.

"How dare you? I would've dropped everything to come take care of Liv. She wouldn't let me. And I had no idea she was even under investigation until today, and when I did find out, I rushed here. So you have some nerve, Detective." Rafael sneered, his hands curling into fists at his side. 

"You don't deserve her." 

"Like you're any better. You're just mad you can't get in her pants."

The words had barely left Rafael's mouth when he felt Elliot's fist come in contact with his jaw. Rafael didn't lose his bearing at all and he was able to swing and hit Elliot in the side of his face. In a swift movement, Elliot wrapped a hand around his neck and threw Rafael up against the wall, choking him. 

"Elliot!" 

He dropped Rafael, causing him to fall to the ground gasping for breath. Elliot turned to see Liv in the doorway, Fin handcuffing their suspect and leading him away. Liv immediately ran over to Rafael and crouched beside him as he worked to catch his breath. "He asked for it, Liv." Elliot said, wiping blood from his own nose. 

"Leave." She said, and he wasn't in the mood to argue, so he nodded and turned to follow Fin to the precinct. Liv watched him leave and then turned her attention back to her boyfriend. His breathing had returned to normal, and now she was worried about the bruise forming on his cheek. They stood up and she led them into the apartment. 

"Are you ok, Liv?" Rafael asked, sitting on the couch as she went into the kitchen to get him an ice pack. 

"I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me, he actually helped me out. He confessed and they can easily charge him with what he did today and they'll be able to connect him to the murder. I'm off the hook." She said, handing Rafael the ice pack and sinking into the couch beside him, curling up. "I could ask you the same though." 

"I'm good. My face is a little sore, but your partner can't break me. As much as he thinks he can. I'm not going anywhere. My place is next to you." Rafael said, and the solidified promise of his commitment felt nice. He wrapped his arms around her and after almost a week without him, his arms were extra comforting. She pressed a kiss to the side of his neck, one hand traveling across his chest and down to palm him through his jeans. His body reacted immediately. 

Olivia efficiently unzipped his jeans and slipped her hand under the waistband of his boxers to wrap around his length. She felt him harden even more in her hand, so she stroked him gently, occasionally letting her thumb brush over the tip. Rafael groaned and Olivia leaned down to kiss his lips, swallowing his moan as her hand picked up speed. 

Rafael arched his hips up and Olivia removed her hand from his pants so she could pull down his jeans and his boxers, leaving them around his ankles. She connected their lips and bit his bottom lip before pulling away. She removed her trousers and panties, smiling as she straddled his waist. She moaned as his length slid across her wet center. He felt so good against her, so Liv wasted no time in lifting up to grab his erection that was pressed against his stomach and line him up with her entrance. 

"I love you." He whispered as he thrusted up into her and pushed home, completely filling her with his length. Olivia had had big partners before, but nobody compared to Rafael. He stretched her perfectly, and nothing had ever felt better. 

Olivia lifted her hips off of him then dropped back down to take all of him deeper. She kept up a steady pace, but Rafael eventually grabbed her hips and began thrusting into her hard and fast. Olivia threw her head back in pleasure when he reached a hand between them to stroke her clit. She moaned his name when she felt her climax building, and it only took a few more thrusts before she clenched around him with her orgasm, pushing him over the edge as he released into her.

Olivia sighed as she leaned against his chest, arms going around his body. "You're so amazing." She whispered and he kissed her forehead as they rested there. Eventually, she lifted herself off of him, whining at the loss of him inside of her. 

Once they redressed, Rafael stretched himself out on the couch, and Olivia draped her body over his, pressing a kiss to his lips. And for the first time all week, everything felt alright. 

TBC...


	14. Too Fast

"I have something for you." Rafael told his girlfriend when she entered his apartment. She'd had a long day at work, and he had asked Fin to drive her to his Brooklyn apartment when she was done at the precinct. Olivia smiled at him as she plopped down onto his couch, stretching out, hands behind her head as she relaxed. 

She watched as he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. A key. "Rafa-" She started, she didn't know what to say. This was a big step for them. He lifted her feet from the couch so that he could sit on the opposite end, once he was seated he put her feet on his lap. This gave him the opportunity to massage her feet, she had been out in the field, so he assumed they were sore. 

"A key to my apartment. I'm serious about us, Liv. What's mine is yours." He promised her, and Liv's heart swelled at his declaration. 

"I'm going to get one made for you." Olivia said, smiling at him. 

"Don't feel pressured to because of me." 

Olivia shook her head. "I don't. I've been wanting to give you a key to my place for a while now. I just didn't want to rush anything and scare you away." She admitted, to which Rafael let out a light chuckle. 

"Impossible." He promised, picking up Liv's legs and lifting them off his lap. Rafael leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to hop in the shower. Use my card and order us some food, please?" He told her, standing from the couch as she nodded. He walked from the living room back to his bedroom, leaving Olivia to order the food for them. She hadn't eaten anything all day, so she was practically starving. 

Olivia ordered food for them and then went down the hall into Rafael's bedroom. She flopped onto his bed and laid there, listening to him singing in the shower. She laughed as he continuously switched between showtunes and radio hits. Eventually, the water turned off and he stopped singing. She watched as he wrapped a towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror. 

"Livy?" He called. "Can you grab a shirt for me, please?" He asked, and she nodded, rolling off his bed and going over to his dresser. She opened his top drawer and grabbed one of his cotton t-shirts, when she noticed a small box underneath buried at the bottom. It was definitely a ring box. Her heart started beating out of her chest as she grabbed the box and opened it. "Liv, you find a shirt?" He asked, before she could even try to process what she was seeing. 

Rafael stepped out of the bathroom and his heart stopped when he realized what was in her hand. His breathing completely shallowed as he tried to figure out what to say. "Rafael, what is this?" Olivia asked, clearly stunned. 

"Liv, let me explain-" 

"Explain what, Rafael? We've been dating for eight months and suddenly you have a damn ring?" She screamed and Rafael just stood there dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say to fix this. This was the very reason he had been hesitant to take the ring in the first place. "I can't do this." Olivia said, as she dropped the box and ran out of his bedroom. 

"Wait, Olivia, please!" He called after her but it was too late. She wasted no time in leaving his apartment and slamming the door behind her. And just like that, Rafael had no idea what to do. He had no proposal plans. He just that he knew at some point in time he would, because he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Olivia. Maybe she didn't feel the same way? 

Rafael got dressed and then tried to call her, but it went to voicemail multiple times. He sat on the bed and threw his phone down behind him. For once in his life, he didn't know what to do. He was always one step ahead of everyone, and yet now, he felt like he was in a stop zone. He huffed out a breath through his lips and grabbed his phone to call the one person he could rely on. 

The phone barely rang before he heard it click through. "Rafi, nieto! I was just thinking about you, I'm so glad you called!" His grandmother's sweet voice said from the other line. 

"Abuelita, I'm stuck. I don't know what to do." He said, his voice on the verge of tears. He was really scared this ring, that was supposed to bring him and Liv closer together, was going to tear them apart. He didn't think he could handle that. 

"Come to my apartment. We can talk here, you know how much I despise these phones." She ranted and Rafael allowed himself to smile. He hung up with his grandmother, then left his apartment to travel the short distance to his grandmother's apartment building. He hiked the stairs to her apartment and then let himself in. 

Catalina stood from the couch where she was knitting to move to her grandson. If there was anyone who knew Rafael more than he knew himself it was his Abuelita. They had always been close. She was his rock throughout his entire childhood. The older woman opened her arms when she noticed how upset Rafael was. 

Rafael allowed himself to fall into his Abuelita's arms. He let a few tears escape his eyes as she hugged him tightly. "Now, my Rafi, tell me what troubles you." She asked as she led them to her sofa. 

"Olivia found your ring. She freaked out and left my apartment. Now she won't answer my calls." He explained, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him again. Catalina placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. He looked over at her, curious as to what she was going to say. 

"Lo siento, nieto. I should've waited to give it to you." 

Rafael shook his head, "No, Abuelita, no es tu culpa." The last thing he wanted was for his grandmother to blame herself. She smiled at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

"You must fix this, Rafi. You can't lose her. Talk to her."

\----

Olivia walked into her apartment, letting out a sigh as the door shut behind her. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was curl up and go to bed. She knew Rafael had been calling her, but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone. She was scared. She wasn't ready for marriage and she didn't want to drag Rafael along if he was ready and she wasn't. But talking to him while her emotions were still so high didn't seem like the best idea.

So she resigned to pouring herself a glass of red wine and drinking it alone on her couch, which was unusual for her. Nowadays, Rafael was either with her physically, or she would call him and they would drink together at a distance. She sighed, lifting the glass to her lips and taking a small sip. 

Liv turned her head, catching a glance of the picture frame on the accent table beside the couch. She loved that picture of them. They were sitting on the bar stools in her kitchen, Fin had insisted he take a picture of them, so Rafael had wrapped both of his arms around her shoulders, she was laughing, and he had the biggest smile on his face. 

As Olivia looked around her apartment, she found little symbols of how Rafael had been such a significant part of her life. His bottle of scotch on top of her fridge, his favorite movies in the cabinet of the TV stand, a pair of his sneakers by her front door, the extra toothbrush on her sink for when he spent the night, the male clothes in her drawers, a spare suit in her closet, and the pictures of them all over her apartment. 

He had so seamlessly weisled himself into her world. And now, she didn't know what to do. She loved him, there was no doubt about that, but could this relationship stand the test of time? She couldn't clearly say that it could. 

TBC...


	15. The Reason We Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this chapter took a little while, but I actually like how it turned out. I hope you guys enjoy this, next chapter will be Halloween based and if i get some inspiration should be out within the next week or two!

It was late. Probably close to 9:00 at that point. But Rafael didn't feel like going back to his apartment. It was empty and he had grown so accustomed to having someone to talk to when he came home from work. Whether she was there in person, or just a phone call away. Rafael was scribbling away on his notepad, furiously trying to crack out an opening statement for his case. 

The knock on the office door, pulled him away from his notes. "Come in." He called, watching the door. "Mel, you need something?" He asked the detective as she came into the office. She shrugged as she sat in the seat across from his desk. 

"Just came to check in on a friend. You've been off lately." She observed, but Rafael looked up and offered her a smile. It wasn't convincing. 

"I'm fine." 

"And yet, I don't believe you at all." Melayna told him. He knew he'd been off, but he was hoping that none of the Brooklyn detectives had noticed. "Barba, come on, we're friends. You can talk to me." She promised. It wasn't that he didn't trust Melayna. He definitely did. He just didn't want to talk about it. It'd been a week, and Olivia still hadn't returned any of his calls. He just wanted to know where they stood. As far as he knew, they were still in a relationship. 

Rafael sighed, and hesitantly began explaining to her what had happened. Melayna let him talk, listening carefully, which he was thankful for. He was hoping to get her advice. "So you need to go to her apartment. If she won't answer your calls, the only way you're going to talk to her is by showing up on her doorstep." She told him, crossing her legs and shrugging. 

Rafael had considered doing just that a few times, but he didn't want to show up where he wasn't welcomed. But all he wanted was to explain himself to her. He didn't want to lose her, she was too important to him.

"Here's what we're going to do," Melayna started. "I'm going to drive you to her apartment, you're going to go to her door, if she lets you in, text me and I'll leave. If not, come back outside and I'll drive you home." 

"Ok," he sighed, grabbing his coat and standing from his chair. The ride to Liv's apartment felt like an eternity, given they were driving from Brooklyn to Manhattan, but it felt longer than it usually took, maybe because he was nervous for how this was going to go down.

"Go get her, killer." Melayna stated, putting the car in park, waiting for him to get out. 

Rafael took a deep breath before getting out of the car and making his way into the apartment building. He got to her door and hesitated only a moment before knocking. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he waited. 

His face cracked into a small smile when the door opened and he saw her for the first time in a week. He had no idea what was going to happen and yet he was still so happy to see her. 

"Hey," Olivia started. 

Rafael gestured inside her apartment. "Can we talk?" He asked, Olivia nodded and stepped aside to let him in. 

"Can I get you something to drink?" 

"Water is fine." He said, pulling out his phone to text Melayna. When Olivia returned with their drinks, he slipped the phone into his back pocket and took a seat on the couch. He cracked his knuckles as he waited for one of them to start this conversation. 

Olivia sighed. "We have to address the elephant in the room." 

"The ring was my grandmother's." Rafael started, refusing to look at her. He hated this. He felt like the room was closing in on him and he didn't like feeling that way around her. "She gave it to me a few months ago, told me to give it to you when I thought we were ready for the next step." 

Olivia looked over at him. His side profile was to her and his hands were in his lap. He was still in his work clothes, which was so handsome, and she had an urge to lean against him, but she knew they needed to have this conversation. 

"I didn't think you would find that ring - and I'm sorry that you did." He finished, finally allowing himself to look over at her.

Olivia locked eyes with him. "I'm sorry for not letting you explain." She said, and for a moment Rafael felt like they were going to be ok. They had to be. The awkwardness in the room seemed to fade as they both let out a sigh. "Sometimes I just feel like we're two different people; that this isn't going to work." 

"It will, Liv." Rafael said, confidently. 

"I want to trust you, Rafa-"

He interrupted. "Then why don't you?" It wasn't passive aggressive; it was just a question.

"It's not easy for me. I overthink things, Rafa, I always do. I'm not good at commitment because I'm bound to screw something up." She had stood up at this point, directly in front of him. Rafael stayed silent, allowing her to finish. "I'm a mess, Rafael. Relationships never work for me because I don't know what I want. I'm scared of marriage and a family because I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" She paused for a moment to take a breath, her voice lowered. "The point of this is if you really want me, Rafael, I don't know when or if I'll ever be ready for marriage, and I'm sorry." The tears had started to make their way down her cheeks as she poured her heart out to the man in front of her. 

Rafael stood from the couch and took both of her hands in his. "Liv, all I want is you. You're everything to me." He whispered, she drew back her hands and walked away from him, pacing the living area. 

"So what to we do?" 

"We take a vacation." He said, following her to the kitchen, picking up one of the brochures that was still lying on her counter. Olivia took it from him, giving him a questioning look. "It'll be good for us to get away. It'll remind us why we fight so hard to make this work." 

Olivia looked at him, the pleading look on his face. He wanted to make it work for them, and she couldn't deny him that. "Ok."

"Ok?" He asked, clearly surprised.

Olivia laughed, "Yes, Rafa, let's go on vacation!" 

Rafael immediately ran forward and pulled her into his arms. She felt better, there wasn't a weight on her chest anymore as she allowed herself to relax into his arms. "Take two weeks off after Halloween. We're going to Cuba." 

"Cuba?!"

"You have a passport, right?" Rafael asked, smiling at her.

"Yes, I just didn't realize we were going out of country."

"Well I wasn't planning on it, but I've been wanting to take my Mami and Abuelita back to Cuba. I have family in Cuba, and they have a place in Havana that they rent out throughout the year. It's beautiful in November." Rafael explained, and Olivia was still dumbfounded. She didn't know what to say, a few minutes ago she wasn't even convinced this relationship was going to make it, and now, he was planning to take her out of the country with his family. It meant a lot to Olivia that he wanted to show her another part of him. She knew some of his background, but she was a excited to really learn about his Cuban heritage. 

"That sounds amazing, Rafael." Liv said, her head resting against his chest, listening to steady beat of his heart. He pressed a kiss to her hair. "I love you." She'd been doubting herself so much lately, yet that was the one thing was always a constant. 

"I love you, too." 

They were going to stand the test of time. Olivia was going to make sure of it. Because he was too good to lose. 

TBC...


	16. Costumes, Parties, Packing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! I really didn't think this chapter was going to be out so quickly but ideas flowed and this is what happened. It's a Halloween chapter which was really fun to right, and it's longer than any of the other chapters. Next chapter won't be out as quickly because I still have some research to do for our favorite couple's trip to Cuba. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and have a wonderful Halloween. Stay safe!

Fin was hanging up a poster about the precinct Halloween party on Cragen's door when Olivia came into work Thursday morning. The precinct Halloween party was a tradition that the squad has started putting on a few years ago. Everyone came to the precinct on Halloween night, uniformed officers stood out front of the precinct and handed out candy, while everyone inside had a party. There was food and games, and Munch always insisted there be a costume contest. Their jobs were so demanding, but Halloween felt like one night where they could all just have fun. 

"You fix things with your lawyer?" Fin asked as he sat back down at his desk. He noticed that his friend seemed a lot more upbeat. Liv nodded, trying to keep the smile off her face. It wasn't working. "You bringin' him to the party?" 

"Probably. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to him about it yet." Liv said, sitting down at her desk. She noticed Munch and Elliot standing in the break room. "He's picking me up for lunch today. I'll ask him then."

"Who's picking you up?" Elliot asked, she hadn't even realized he had come into the room. 

"Rafael." Elliot scoffed. After what had happened when Olivia was accused of murder, she had tried to stay away from Elliot as much as possible, and Elliot had been significantly happy when he found out, through precinct gossip, that Olivia and Rafael were fighting. 

Around 1:00, the elevator doors opened and Rafael stepped out. He nodded at the officer working the front desk and then walked into the main area where the squad was breaking for lunch. Olivia looked up when she heard the familiar footsteps of his fancy shoes, a smile broke across her face. 

"Hey," He greeted her, kissing her cheek, not paying any mind to Elliot who was clearly glaring at the back of his head. "You ready?"

Olivia nodded and looped her arm with his, making their way to the elevator. "How's your day been?" She asked, leaning into his side as the elevator doors closed. 

"Can't complain. I'm glad to see you though. I needed an hour away from closing arguments." They walked in sync out of the precinct. The cold fall air was brisk, and Olivia was suddenly wishing she had brought a coat with her. She shivered and Rafael pulled her closer against his side. They decided on Forlini's since it was close by. 

The couple got a booth near the back and they thanked the waiter as he left them to look over their menus. "Do you have plans on Halloween?" Olivia asked, looking up from her menu. 

"Im hoping to spend the evening with you." He said, smiling at her. 

She reached across the table to take his hand. "The precinct is having our annual Halloween party. I need a date." 

"Do I have to dress up?" He asked, even though he was going to say yes either way. He'd do anything if it meant he got to spend time with Olivia. 

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I would say no, but Munch is very insistent that we all dress up." Rafael laughed. "Plus, I found a great couples costume for us." She informed him, matter of factly. Liv let go of his hand and reached into her pocket for her phone. 

"Don't you think we're a little too old for a couples costume, Liv?" He asked, but she obviously didn't think so because she was very excited when she slid her phone across the table, a picture of her costume idea for them on the screen. "Seriously? Danny and Sandy from Grease?" Rafael chuckled as he looked at the stock image of a young couple in tight leather clothing and late 50's hairstyles. 

"It'll be funny! And besides, you're going to look extremely hot as Danny Zuko." Rafael raised an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Teenage Olivia definitely had a crush on John Travolta." She admitted, and Rafael laughed. 

"Well, teenage Rafael definitely had a crush on Olivia Newton-John." He said, and Olivia clapped her hands together, excitedly.

"It's settled then!"

Sure enough, two nights later, Rafael used the key Olivia had given him, after they made up, to get into her apartment. His hair was gelled back smoothly, he had a tight fitting white shirt on, black leather pants, and a black leather jacket. "I was right." Olivia concluded, when she saw him appear behind her in the bathroom mirror. She was finishing her makeup. "If you're planning on kissing me, you better do it before I put this lipstick on." She said, and Rafael immediately turned her around and pressed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body against hers, so their chests were pressed together.

They pulled back and she picked up the red lipstick and began applying it, while he walked out of the ensuite. "Opinions?" She asked, going out into her bedroom where her boyfriend was lounging on her bed. 

"Goddamn, Olivia." She was gorgeous. Her hair was perfectly curled, falling right at her bare shoulders. She was wearing an off the shoulder black shirt and high waisted black skinny jeans. "Olivia Newton-John has nothing on you." He concluded, standing to take her into his arms again. 

"Alright, come on, lover boy, we're going to be late." Olivia said, pulling away from him and walking into her closet to step into the red high heels to complete her costume. When they both declared that they were ready, they left her apartment and caught a cab to the precinct. 

They arrived just in time to make it up to the 16th floor by 7:00. Halloween music was playing and people were socializing. Liv noticed Fin standing with Munch, the latter was wearing khakis and a red sweater. "Mr.Rogers?" Rafael asked as they approached the two men. 

"Yes!" Munch exclaimed, then turned to Olivia. "I like him." Rafael smiled and clapped the older man on the shoulder. They had a short conversation with Munch and Fin before making their way to the break room where the refreshments were. Rafael got a cup of punch and Olivia got a plate of pretzels before they went to stand by her desk. 

Olivia introduced Rafael to a few people and he couldn't help but reflect on the way he was introduced. Her boyfriend. It was music to his ears when just a few days ago he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to call himself that anymore. Just the thought of that broke his heart. He loved her more than he'd ever loved anyone before. 

Olivia looked at him and noticed the way his face was focused as he was thinking. "You ok?" She asked, lacing her fingers with his. 

"Perfect." He promised, just as Munch tried to get everyone's attention. 

The feedback from the microphone squealed loudly, and Olivia cringed with a laugh as Munch apologized. "I want to thank you all for coming to the 7th annual 16th Precinct Halloween party!" Munch announced, and everyone clapped. "This year's party was decorated by my partner, Detective Tutuola! Give him a hand!" Olivia leaned over to Fin and hollered in his ear, to which he flipped her off. "This year's costumes were judged by the man who keeps this place together, Captain Cragen! So, without further ado, this year's winner of this cool trophy and bragging rights for the rest of the year is..." A uniformed officer drummed on the table. 

"Detective Benson!" Olivia laughed as her peers around her started clapping. Rafael unwrapped his arm from it's spot around her waist, and laid a hand on the small of her back to give her a push toward Munch. He clapped for her as well as she went to gather the plastic trophy they had gotten made. 

The party lasted for another hour before Olivia and Rafael were catching a cab back to her apartment. The sky was dark, but the city was still alive. Olivia always loved to see the city at night. "That was fun." She said as they entered her apartment, immediately pulling her heels off and throwing them aside. Her feet were killing her. 

Rafael took the plastic trophy and put it on top of her TV stand. "So you can always see it." He said, slipping his leather jacket off and throwing it onto the back of her couch. She loved the view of his arms, the muscles of his biceps and the lines of his forearms. The shirt hugged tight to his chest and Liv could see his nipples through it. He wasn't completely buff, but he was in good shape, and she absolutely loved every part of that man's body. She found herself biting her lip as she imagined how he would look in a bathing suit for their trip to Cuba. 

"Have you started packing for our trip?" He asked, pulling her out of her reverie. 

She moved over so he could sit beside her. "Not yet. I'm not sure what to pack." Rafael immediately stood from the couch and started down the hall to her bedroom.

"Come on, I'll help." He said, and she laughed at his eagerness, but followed him anyway. "Alright, where do you keep your suitcase?" He asked, flipping her light on. Liv walked into the closet and grabbed it off the shelf and set it on her bed. When she turned around she realized her boyfriend was already picking things out of her dresser. He was kneeling on the floor, which made his leather pants hug his ass perfectly. 

Olivia watched as he pulled a few shirts out of her middle drawer, he passed them to her and she put them into her suitcase. 

"The weather in Cuba is going to be beautiful this time of year." He explained as he pulled pairs of shorts out of her bottom drawer. "It might get chilly though." He pulled a few pairs of jeans, leggings, and sweatpants out and handed them to her as well. They were leaving early Monday morning for the airport and she hadn't even made a dent in her packing so she was glad to have Rafael helping her. 

"When was the last time you were in Cuba?" 

"My 30th birthday. It would've been five years ago from last week." He said, searching through her top drawer for undergarments and socks. 

Olivia's face fell when she realized what she had missed. "Your birthday was last week." Rafael turned around, sitting criss cross on the floor. "Rafa, I had no idea." He stood from the floor and sat beside her on the foot of the bed. He wrapped both of his arms around her as she fell against his chest. 

"Hey, Livia, it's ok. You didn't know." He soothed, pressing a kiss against her head. Tears soaked his shirt as she cried against him, fisting the back of his shirt. She loved him so much, she felt as if her heart could beat outside of her chest if he was the one who had it. She had never experienced that kind of love before. And it broke her to think that she had missed his birthday because of her fears, when he had went all out for her birthday not even two months into their relationship. 

"I love you so much, Raf." She whispered, pulling back and rubbing her eyes. He pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, smiling sweetly at her. 

"Your makeup is smearing." He quipped, Olivia laughed and slapped his chest. Rafael chuckled and pulled her back against him. They stayed in that embrace for a few minutes before Rafael took her suitcase that was now filled with all of the clothes she'd need. "You're all set." He said, setting the suitcase on the floor. 

Olivia fell back against her pillows, "Stay the night?" She asked and Rafael nodded, pulling the curtains on her window closed. She rolled off of her bed and got changed into pajamas while Rafael went to relieve himself. He returned from the ensuite in a pair of sweatpants that he kept at her apartment. 

They got into bed and Rafael pulled her against him. "Happy belated birthday." She whispered, and he smiled as they both allowed their eyes to fall closed, letting the pull of sleep overtake them. 

TBC...


	17. First Night in Cuba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael, Olivia, Lucia, and Catalina spend their first day in Cuba.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect this chapter to take this long but I wanted to do some research on Cuba to get some inspiration.

Olivia's alarm went off at 4:00 Monday morning, and for a second she was tempted to hit snooze until she remembered what day it was. She immediately got up and began getting herself together. It was going to be a long flight so she pulled her hair into a ponytail, brushed her teeth, and put on a pair of sweatpants and one of Rafael's T-shirts.

When she was ready she grabbed her luggage and went outside to the Uber that was waiting for her. It was about a 40 minute drive from her apartment to the airport, and while it was early, Olivia was wide awake. She got out at the JFK International Airport and smiled when she saw Rafael, Lucia, and Catalina waiting outside for her. 

She approached them and Rafael waved to her, but then immediately turned back to his mother. "Mami, I told you to pack a jacket, it's still fall in New York." He said, but his mother was having none of it.

"How was I supposed to know it was cold? I didn't get my morning news because you pulled me out of bed at 4:00!" She exclaimed, opening the door and going inside. Olivia laughed as Rafael pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Morning." She said, giving him a kiss, which brought a smile to his face. "Come on." Olivia opened the door and followed his mother and grandmother into the luggage check line. After their luggage was taken they went to their boarding area to wait til their 8:00 flight. JFK was one of the only airports in New York that offered a straight flight to Cuba, which meant the flight would be almost six hours, but they wouldn't have to layover in a hotel. 

They all sat down in the chairs, Lucia mumbling to herself about how uncomfortable they were. Catalina was doing a sudoku puzzle, and Rafael had gone to get them coffee. "Olivia, querida, how are you?" Catalina asked, not looking up from her puzzle.

"I'm well, thank you. Excited to see Cuba." Olivia responded, and the eldest woman looked over at her, closing her puzzle. 

"Have you ever been?" Olivia shook her head. "Cuba is beautiful. Mi corazón siempre estará en Cuba." She said, her face showed a look of true happiness as she thought about her country. It made Olivia want to know more about Rafael's family and how they came from Cuba to America. Before she could ask, Rafael came back with coffee for all of them. He passed out the to go cups and sat down beside Olivia. 

They waited for about an hour before they were able to start boarding the plane. There were two seats in a row so Olivia and Rafael were seated in front of Lucia and Catalina. "I hope you know I'm definitely sleeping on this flight." Liv told him, already leaning against his shoulder. Her exhaustion was catching up to her.

"Fine by me." Rafael said, grabbing a book from his carry on bag to entertain himself while she slept. He only read for about a half hour before the flight attendant announced take off. Rafael put his book away, and woke Liv up so that she could buckle her seatbelt. 

As soon as they were in the air, he immediately regretted sitting in front of his mother because of the incessant seat kicking she was doing. "Dios mio, Mami. Stop kicking my seat." He said, turning around to glare at her. She held up he hands in defense. 

The flight was five hours long and Rafael got bored quickly. Olivia was on and off asleep, his mother was reading her own book, and his Abuelita was sleeping too. He was tired, but he knew he'd never be able to fall asleep on the plane. He was glad he had taken the window seat though because he was able to look down at the view. As he watched the view, he felt Olivia's chin on his shoulder. "Whatcha doing?" She asked. 

"Just enjoying the view. You get some sleep?" Olivia shrugged and put her head back against the seat. "You can go back to using my shoulder." He offered, knowing the seat wasn't comfortable for her. 

She smiled, "I might take you up on that offer." Sure enough, ten minutes later she was asleep on his shoulder. A flight attendant brought around pretzels and took drink orders. Rafael thanked the woman and silently ate the pretzels. 

When the plane landed after a lengthy five hours, Rafael was more than happy to stand up and stretch his body. He was trying to drown out his mother's complaining about the uncomfortable plane seats as they made their way to the baggage claim. Olivia was trying not to laugh at Lucia's rambling, but it was proving difficult. They all got their luggage and then made their way out of the airport. 

Olivia stopped just outside and took in her surroundings. She felt Rafael come stand beside her, "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She nodded, outside the airport wasn't anything spectacular but just the knowledge of knowing she was in Cuba was what was so beautiful. And the fact that she was there with Rafael and his family made it even more special. "Come on, we've got two weeks to admire. Let's go see where we're staying." Rafael said, intertwining his fingers with hers, tilting his head in the direction that his mother and grandmother were already walking. 

They walked the distance from the airport to a beautiful neighborhood with colorful antique houses. Olivia stopped every so often to take pictures. "Here we are!" Catalina exclaimed stopping in front a pale yellow home, with a stone lining around the bottom. Their was an archway leading to the door surrounded by plants. Olivia turned around to look at Rafael, who just smiled in return and continued forward into the house. 

Inside was an open concept living and dining area that had an antique yet modern feel. There was a spiral staircase leading to the second level, and sliding glass doors from the kitchen leading onto a closed in pool. Olivia was in awe to say the least. "Let's go see our room." Rafael said, pulling her from her admirations. She followed him up the stairs and to the bedroom on the right of the hall. 

He set their suitcases on the bed as she looked around the room. "Thank you, Rafa." She said, and he looked over at her, curiously. He waited for her to elaborate. "For this." Olivia said, gesturing to the room. Olivia was feeling so many emotions, Rafael wanted to share this part of him with her and she was honored. His family was so welcoming or get staying with them for two weeks in their home country, and she was so thankful. 

Rafael ditched the suitcase and walked over to her to kiss the side of her head, she leaned into him. Together, they unpacked their bags and then joined Lucia and Catalina in the living area. "Get changed, we're going to Casa Mia Paladar for dinner. Estoy prácticamente hambrienta." Lucia quipped. 

"Casa Mia Paladar, an amazing Latin restaurant right off one of the beaches." Rafael explained to Olivia. "We should take a walk on the beach after dinner." He suggested, to which Olivia agreed.

"Alright, lovebirds. Go change." Catalina said, shooing them back to their room. They returned a few minutes later, Olivia now in a yellow sundress and sandals, and Rafael in khaki shorts and a button down, light blue shirt. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

The food at the restaurant was amazing and the view was just as exuisite. Olivia didn't want to seem like an annoying tourist, but she couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of the view. Dinner consisted of laughs and Catalina explaining some of the Cuban history of the area. Rafael paid the bill at the end and then made sure his mother and grandmother got a cab back to the house before he and Liv set out on their walk along the beach. 

The couple walked down the stairs of the boardwalk, hand in hand. They strolled to the shore of the water, their shoes in their hands so they could feel the sand between their toes, and the constant push and pull of the little waves. The sun was setting in the distance, casting a yellow-orange haze in the sky above them. "The first time I came here I was ten years old. My Abuelita and Abuelito brought me. I was just glad to get away from my father for a week, but I ended up falling in love with this place." He said, staring ahead, a reminiscent smile on his face. "We walked along this exact beach. I felt like a kid for once." 

Olivia looked at him, admiring the lines of his face. Admiring him. "You never talk about your childhood." She thought aloud, and he sighed. 

"Not a lot to talk about. I didn't have much of a childhood, at least not a good one." He shrugged, and she leaned into his side. "I'll tell you about it sometime. Let's just enjoy this." They continued their walk along the beach, Liv pausing sometimes to pick up a shell. Eventually, they found a spot in the sand and sat down. Rafael leaned back on his hands and looked out at the water. Liv stood up, brushed the sand off her hands and ran directly into the water, laughing as the wave splashed up to her dress. Rafael smiled as he watched her playing around. 

"Is it cold?"

She shook her head. "Come on, Rafa!" She called back, motioning for him to come in to the shallow water. He pushed himself up and jogged toward the water, immediately wrapping Olivia in his arms. She laughed in his embrace, hands resting on his chest. 

They continued their walk all the way back to the house, still laughing as they came through the door. Lucia was reading on the couch, she looked up when she heard them. "How was the beach?" She asked. 

"It was great." Olivia responded, toeing her sandals off and setting them next to the door with everyone else's shoes. "I'm going to grab a shower and then head to bed, I'm feeling tired from the flight." She wasn't used to flying for long amounts of time, so she was definitely ready for bed.

"I'll meet you there in a bit." He said, he wanted to talk to his mom about what Olivia had brought up at the beach. 

"Ok, goodnight, babe. Love you." She said, kissing him lightly. He smiled as she waved goodnight to his mother and then turned to the stairs. Rafael sat on the couch beside Lucia. His mother looked up at him, studying his expression.

"Mijo."

"Liv asked about my childhood." He started, crossing his legs and leaning back against the couch. 

Lucia set down her book and turned to face him. "Did you tell her?" She asked, keeping her voice calm as she thought of her son's childhood. If Lucia was granted one wish it would be to go back in time and protect her son. 

"No, I uh, I told her that I'd tell her sometime. We were having a good time and-" 

"And you didn't want to ruin it by talking about how I failed at parenting." Lucia interrupted, and Rafael shook his head. 

"No, Mami, it was never your fault, you did your best. I work with special victims, I see domestic abuse cases, mothers with children who can't get out. I don't blame you for what he did." Rafael said, and Lucia nodded. Maybe someday she'd start to believe that. But it didn't take away her guilt. Her son deserved better. "Go to bed, Rafi. I'll see you in the morning. Te quiero mucho."

TBC...


	18. Opening Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ⚠️TW/CW: The first part of this chapter briefly mentions descriptions of child abuse. If this topic is triggering for you in anyway, you can always skip the first part of this chapter! ⚠️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little while, but I'm back with a new chapter. This will be the last full chapter featuring their Cuba trip, which I've enjoyed writing, it gave me a chance to research Cuba and look at some beautiful pictures. I definitely recommend looking up some of the destinations they visit in this chapter, they're beautiful. Anyway, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter, and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, wishing you all the best in the new year! ♡

"My _Abuelita_ has fully entered Cuba mode. You will not hear her speak any english for the next week we're here." Rafael told her when he came to bed one night. Olivia was resting on the comforter, reading through a pamphlet of things to do in Cuba. She was proud of herself as if was all in Spanish but she could read it fine.

"She's the sweetest woman. I can see why you turned out so good, two strong women like that." She said, setting the pamphlet aside as she watched Rafael why undressed and into his pajamas. He pulled back the covers on his side, getting under, and Olivia did the same. He really had been lucky. His father had no bearing on the man he had become. He had been raised by his mother and grandmother. Olivia deserved to know that story, she deserved to know his background.

Rafael took a deep breath and turned on his side to face Olivia. He took in her beauty. "My grandparents stepped up big time. My father was never a good man, could've cared less about what happened to me." She studied his face, the way his eyes filled with anger when he mentioned his father. Olivia had been wanting to hear about his childhood, but she didn't want to push, he'd tell her when he was ready. "At first it was just psychological abuse, he'd tell me I wasn't worth anything. Then he'd drink and it'd all go downhill from there. He would hit me, punch me, throw things at me, I was five years old and I had become my father's punching bag." The tears welled in his eyes as he recalled these moments. Olivia grabbed his hands under the blankets, pulling him back to reality, but she still didn't say anything, she needed to let him speak. "And I was such a good son that when he would go to hurt my mother, I begged him to take it out on me instead, because I didn't want to see my mother get hurt." He laughed painfully, still trying to keep the tears at bay. "One time I asked if I could go see my Abuelita and Abuelito and he threw the lamp at me." Rafael sat up and lifted his shirt off, setting it between them on the bed. He pointed to a scar a few inches above his nipple. "The glass cut me." Olivia reached a shaky hand out and stroked the scar, feeling his heartbeat under her finger tips. He took her hand and kissed each finger before turning around. He shuddered a breath as her hand traced the long scar on the center of his back. "That was from his belt. I don't even remember why. Probably just because he could." He whispered, the tears finally slipping down his cheeks as Olivia's soft hands continued to stoke his back and down his sides. She looped her arms around his torso, pulling him back against her, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder, letting her lips linger on his skin.

They basked in the silence together, he appreciated the fact that she didn't try to pity him, she just listened and comforted him. The way she reacted only solidified in Rafael's mind that she was who he was going to spend the rest of his life with. He had never felt this amount of love before, he never wanted to lose that kind of love.

"I love you." She whispered close to his ear.

"I love you more." He responded, to which he felt her press her lips against his neck. She released him from his hold and laid back down under the covers, eating for him to join her. Rafael sighed and laid down, facing her, before broaching his question. "Can you hold me?" He asked hesitantly. Every night they slept in the same bed, he always held her. He was always the big spoon to put it that way.

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, nose, and then his lips, lingering there the longest. She pulled back and he rolled over to face away from her as she hooked one of her legs over his and wrapped her arm around his upper body. Together they drifted to sleep, Rafael fighting off bad memories of his father throughout the night.

He couldn't remember a time where he was ever more comfortable or more safe. Somehow Olivia had become his safety, no matter where he was, if she was with him, he felt safe from all of the troubles in the world, even troubles that were long dead and gone, like his father. And yet the memories haunted him, but as Olivia's arms encircled his upper body, they didn't plague his dreams. It was as if she had put a shield up around him, and yet the shield was just her love, and he knew she could take it away in a minute, but after the conversation they'd had that night, he no longer feared that she would.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia woke up before him, making sure he was still asleep before slipping out of bed. She wrapped her robe around her and padded down the stairs. Lucia was making breakfast so she went into the kitchen to see if she could help. "Good morning, Lucia."

The older woman looked up, smiling at Olivia. "Buenos dias, querida." Lucia said, pressing a kiss to Olivia's cheek. "There's coffee in the pot. Leave some for Rafi, I don't want to deal with a grumpy son today." She waved a hand as she went back to cooking.

Olivia laughed as she poured herself a mug of coffee. "Is that french toast?" She asked, gesturing to what Lucia had on the stove top.

"Not just any french toast, Cuban french toast. It's much better."

Olivia didn't doubt the woman. "It looks delicious." She said, mixing cream and sugar into her coffee before going to sit at the dining table. She watched Lucia make her way around the kitchen, humming a tune as she cooked. She looked so full of life, and Olivia was amazed at how a woman who had gone through so much still had the greatest outlook on life.

"Rafael told me about his childhood last night." Olivia spoke up, tracing the rim of the mug with her finger. Lucia stopped cooking and turned to look at his son's girlfriend. Her whole demeanor changed, she seemed to become nervous, she reminded Olivia of how Rafael had looked the night before.

"You must know that I tried to get out of that relationship. I really did, but that man had a hold on me. But I'm a good mother, I love my son. More than anything in the world, he's my life. He was the only good thing to come out of that marriage. The only thing that brought me joy. I tried so hard for him, for my Rafi. But it was never enough, every bruise, every scar will haunt me until the day the Lord takes me home." Lucia ranted, gripping the counter top, staring into the marble.

Olivia stood and made her way back into the kitchen, reaching out a hand but not touching the woman. "Lucia, I would never judge you. You did all you could, and you saved Rafael. He's the man he is today because of you and your parents. I wanted to thank you for that, I never meant to upset you." Olivia apologized, and Lucia looked over at her, smiling sadly.

She let out a light laugh, "I should be thanking you. I never seen Rafael as happy as he is when he's with you. You bring out a side of him that I haven't see in years." Olivia smiled, placing a hand on top of Lucia's, squeezing her fingers lightly.

Olivia's response died on her lips when she saw Rafael come down the stairs. "Speak of the devil." She locked eyes with him, a fond smile dawning her face as Lucia wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against her side.

"Don't you ever let this one go, mijo. You hear? She's forever." Rafael nodded at his mother's words. There was no way in hell that he was giving Olivia up. But now that he knew what it was like to be with Olivia everyday and every night, he found himself not wanting this vacation to end. The end of the vacation meant back to the real world and back to New York. Where he was in Brooklyn and she was in Manhattan, and it was simply impossible to see each other everyday. He wanted to bring up the idea of moving in with each other, but he wasn't sure how Olivia would feel about that, and after everything with the ring, he didn't feel like taking any more chances.

* * *

They spent the day at Old Havana visiting places in that area, Palacio de los Capitanes, Museo de la Ciudad, Catedral de San Cristobal, and Castillo de la Real Fuerza. Everything was beautiful and Olivia dragged Rafael in front of every sight to get a picture with him, and Lucia and Catalina were delighted to take their pictures.

Around lunch time, they stopped to figure out where to visit next. "We have to get the vibe of Cuba. Let's walk along Calle Obispo." Rafael said, pointing it out on the map his grandmother was holding, not that she needed it, she knew this place like the back of her hand. Olivia looked at him with a smile, waiting for him to explain. She loved hearing his explanations about everything in Cuba, he looked so joyful getting to share it all with her, and she was happy to listen to every single story. "Calle Obispo. By day, you can browse the shops and art galleries and admire the colorful Cuban Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture. By night, live music lures you into buzzing restaurants and entertainment venues." Rafael said, sounding exactly like something you'd read on an advertisement.

"Let's go then!" She exclaimed, gesturing for Catalina to lead the way. Olivia kept her hand in Rafael's as they made their way through Old Havana. The antique buildings really did encompass that Cuban feel, the narrow cobblestone streets and neoclassical buildings that had restored throughout the years to their former beauty. Olivia had looked at pictures, but they didn't do the actual place justice at all. She enjoyed listening to Catalina explain different things and tell stories in Spanish, Rafael had a smile on his face that Olivia loved. The way the light illuminated his profile, he was beautiful. He was so beautiful and it was quite possible that Olivia fell even more in love with him in that moment.

TBC...


	19. Back to the Real World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's another update! There will only be a few more chapters and then an epilogue, so we're getting close to the end here! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

The group arrived back in New York just a few days before Thanksgiving. They got their luggage and then stepped out of the airport, Olivia breathed in the familiar New York air, feeling bittersweet to be back in the hustle bustle of her city. She had missed her job and her friends, but it had been nice to get away and enjoy time with her boyfriend and his family, in Cuba of all places. She already missed the beach. 

Rafael hailed a cab for his mother and grandmother back to Brooklyn. Olivia had assumed he was going with them, but he didn't get in the cab and then waved as they drove off. "Where are you going?" She asked, and he turned toward her, hands in his pockets. 

"Your place?" 

Olivia nodded and he hailed another cab for them. They arrived at her apartment and carried all of their luggage inside. Rafael set his suitcases in the living room and helped Olivia carry hers back to her bedroom. "It was good while it lasted." She said, sitting down on her bed. 

"We'll go again sometime." He said with a certainty in his tone that made Olivia's heart speed up. The same thing happened everytime he mentioned the future. She wanted a future with him, and yet she still wasn't completely sure that was possible. That underlying fear was still there, and as much as she wanted to squash it, she couldn't. And this talk of the future wasn't helping. 

Later that night, Rafael had gone back to his apartment, and Olivia sat alone on her couch, nursing her second glass of wine. Her thoughts from earlier hadn't been far from her mind all night, and she wanted to do something about it, and she knew exactly what it needed to be. She grabbed her phone and called Dr. Lindstorm's office to schedule an appointment for the next day. She hadn't been in to see the therapist since February, but she felt it was about time she went back, it was always good for her mental health to talk to a third party person. 

* * *

"Well, would you look at what the tide washed in!" Munch exclaimed when she walked into the precinct the next day. She smiled and waved at her squad as she walked over to her desk. It felt good to be back, she had always been a workaholic, so it had been strange to go two weeks without working. And it'd be nice to think about something other than the future, she needed to just live in the present for a day. 

"How was Cuba?" Fin asked, setting a small stack of paperwork on her desk. 

"It was amazing, everything is so beautiful." She said, quickly pulling up some of her pictures on her phone and passing it around for all of them to see. 

Pretty soon, Cragen came in and briefed them on the case and they got to work. Around lunch time Liv received a text from Rafael asking if he could come over to her apartment that night. She didn't know what to say, because she didn't want to tell him about her therapy. To be honest, she felt bad. She knew that Rafael was ready to take the next step, whatever that may be, but she just wasn't sure. Her fears were clouding everything else and she just wasn't ready to commit completely. She needed to talk to Dr. Lindstorm and she didn't want Rafael to know, so she responded telling him she was working late and would text him when she got home. 

Olivia was able to leave around 5, stopping to get a coffee before heading to her 6:00 appointment with Lindstorm. She sat in the lobby of his office, having a brief conversation with his secretary, before he called her in. She sat where she usually did, crossing her legs and offering him a smile. 

"Hi, Olivia. It's been a while. How are you?" He asked, pulling out his notepad. 

"I'm doing pretty well. I just got back from a trip to Cuba, which was very relaxing." Lindstorm smiled as he flipped back in his notebook to the notes he had taken the last time she was there. Olivia focused her attention on her hands as she waited for him to speak.

Lindstorm scanned the page of notes then looked back up at her. "Last time you were here, you were in a very new relationship. Is that still a thing?" He asked, and he took mental note of the way her smile widened as she nodded. "Rafael, correct?" She nodded again. "So you've been in this relationship for a good amount of time. Is it serious?" 

"I'd like to think so. That's actually who I went to Cuba with, him and his mom and grandmother." Olivia explained, and Dr. Linstorm nodded, but he could tell there was something else on her mind. "I love him, I just think I'm having a hard time committing to him." She confessed, and he scrunched his eyebrows, confused.

"You doubt your loyalty to him?"

"No! God, no! I would never do that to him." She corrected immediately, seriously hoping Rafael didn't ever think that. Olivia took a deep breath and leaned forward. "I just don't know how I feel about marriage. I don't know how good of a wife I'd be, it just scares me." 

"Well, has he been married before?" He asked, and she shook her head. "Then you would both be flying blind. You would figure it out together, that's how a marriage works. Have you talked to him about how you're feeling?" 

"A little. He has an engagement ring, I found it by accident. He wasn't even planning a proposal but it just shook me and I stopped talking to him for a while because of it. When we eventually talked, I brought this up, but not completely. But, I think he's ready for the next step, but I don't think I am." Her thoughts were jumbled and she was waving her hands around to try and explain, like she had the habit of doing. 

"What's the next step?"

"I'm not sure."

"Then how do you know you're not ready for it?" He asked, and Olivia bit her lip. She didn't know. "It's all a mind game, Olivia. You've convinced yourself that you're not ready, when you don't even know what it is that you're supposedly not ready for." Lindstorm said and Olivia nodded. This was why she always came back to Lindstorm, he knew exactly how to get to the root of her problems. "Talk to him, and if you'd be more comfortable, I do offer couple's therapy if you'd be interested." 

Olivia had never considered couple's counseling because they didn't have any actual relationship problems. Their problems were rooted in communication and overthinking on her part, but they didn't fight an obscure amount, and they obviously loved each other. But now, the idea of couple's counseling didn't sound so bad. Maybe it'd make talking to Rafael easier if she had her therapist's guidance. 

"I'll talk to Rafael. Thank you." She said, pushing herself up from the chair to see herself out. She made it out to the street and hailed a cab, getting in the backseat and giving the driver her address. Olivia pulled out her phone and realized she had a missed call from Rafael. "Hey, Rafa, I'm on my way back to my place now. Work was a bitch." She laughed and expected him to as well, but he was silent. 

"You know, that's funny, because I stopped by the precinct a half hour ago to bring you dinner, and you weren't there. Detective Stabler said you left at 5." He said, a bite to his tone. She bit her lip and cursed in her mind. She should've known that lying to Rafael wasn't going to do her any good. "I'll come over. We'll talk then." He said and hung up. She dropped her phone into her lap, staring out at the New York scene. Eventually, she arrived at her apartment and headed inside to wait for Rafael. 

Olivia changed into sweatpants and a tight fitting t-shirt, poured herself a glass of wine and sat back on the couch, thinking about what she was going to say to Rafael. She had to tell him where she was, they needed communication and that was going to start if she kept lying to him and keeping things from him. She heard the key turn in the door and she set her glass of wine in the coffee table, standing up, wiping her palms against her sweatpants as she waited for him to come in. 

Rafael didn't say anything when he entered, be set a bag of takeout on the coffee table and threw his coat on the back of the couch. "The food might be cold." 

"That's fine. Thank you, Raf." She said, and she watched as he started pacing. He had clearly left work a while ago as he was in jeans and a sweatshirt. "Rafa?" She asked, and he turned toward her. 

"Liv, I don't care where you go or what you do. I don't control you and I would never want to. That's not me. But I don't want to be lied to. You don't have to tell me where you're going all the time, but please don't lie to me. So, just rip the band-aid off." He said, and she had a look of confusion in her eyes as she waited for him to continue. "Were you cheating on me?" He asked, somehow managing to keep his voice level, although, she could practically hear his heart beating out of his chest. 

"No, I swear, I would never." 

He nodded, "Ok, so where were you, Liv? What was so bad about where you went that you had to lie to me?" Rafael asked, sitting beside her on the couch, but she wasn't looking at him, her eyes were focused on her carpet. 

"I was at therapy." 

"That's it?" She nodded. "Liv, I'm never going to judge you for going to therapy. You can tell me these kinds of things." 

"I was at therapy to talk about us." She finished, finally peeling her eyes off the ground to glance at him. Now he was the one who's face read confusion. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Do you remember what we talked about after I found your Abuelita's ring?" She asked, pulling her legs up onto the couch. Rafael thought back and recalled the conversation, it had broken his heart a little bit at the time, to know that she was so apprehensive about marriage because of her fear of messing something up. He nodded and waited for her to continue. "We talked about that, about my fears about our next step." 

"I didn't realize that was still bothering you." He admitted, shaking his head, trying to figure out how he had let that one slip past, be felt like an awful boyfriend, until she spoke again. 

Olivia grabbed his hand from out of his lap, smiling sadly at him. "For a different reason. We talked about how I felt, but I never asked you. Do you want a family, Rafael?" She asked, looking into his deep, green eyes, they were so beautiful and she wanted to get lost in them, but she knew that this was a conversation that was detrimental to the future of their relationship. They needed to understand each other and their wants and needs. 

He cleared his throat, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. "I've always wanted to settle down, to have a life outside of the law. I've always wanted to spend my life with someone. Maybe even have children, but that one's rougher because of my childhood. But Liv, I only want those things if they're with you."

"But I don't want to hold you back, Rafael." She said, leaning closer to him, eyes locked with his, trying to understand what was going through that head of his. 

"You're not. You never have. We can go as slow as you want, I'm not going anywhere." Rafael said, and she could tell there was no sense in arguing with him, he had his mind made up, and that helped to ease hers. She nodded, allowing herself to fall against his chest, his arms immediately encompassed her as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

As she rested their in his arms, she allowed herself to think about having moments like these for the rest of her life with him. And for the first time, it didn't freak her out, she smiled and sighed further into his embrace. The room was silent except for the noise coming from the streets of Manhattan. "What do you want out next step to be?" She asked, tilting her head up to look at him, this way she was able to catch the way he hesitated before answering. "Be straight with me, I honestly want to know. And you can't scare me away because there's no way I'm leaving your arms right now, just saying." She said, smiling when she felt him chuckle. "So, what is it?" 

He took a deep breath and held it in, before releasing it with his statement. "I want us to move in together." 

"I'm not opposed to that, Rafa, but you work in Brooklyn and I work in Manhattan. Neither of us is going to want to make that trip everyday."

"So we get a place halfway between." He xur in. "Battery Park has reasonably priced apartments that would be perfect for us." He said, pointing to her laptop on the coffee table. "Look up Gateway Battery Park City." She leaned forward and grabbed her computer, signing in and then doing as he had said, clicking the first website and scrolling through some of the pictures of one of the available apartments. 

"These are gorgeous."

"Told you. You don't have to make a decision now, but think about it, ok?" Olivia nodded, shutting her laptop and reclaiming her spot against him, kicking her feet up on the coffee table, content for the first time since they returned from Cuba. 


End file.
